Code Geass: The Blooming Cherry Blossom Enigma
by Benji Himura
Summary: An invanding force that need to be stopped, impending crisis and chaos. The last remnant of a broken resistance that trying to protect humanity within their hearts. And thus the story begin...
1. Prologue

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen and Code Geass story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. I own Benji Himura and others original characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

I want to thank Andou Masaki for the idea of this story, the personal review of the rough sketch of the prologue and the idea for the title of this story.

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Code Geass: The Blooming Cherry Blossom Enigma

Prologue

Sirens roar loudly and shots filter thorough empty and dim lithe halls it starts with alarms and sirens echoing in empty and dim lithe halls with sounds of battle filtering on the halls by barricaded doors and windows. Inside a room deep inside the bowels of that building a couple would be hurrying to complete their task while the building was breeched by the overwhelming forces of the enemy army.

Other than the couple there the base is empty and fully devoid of life. The male a tall raven haired man clad on slim black, dark blue and blood red light armor with a metallic backpack and a long metal tube parallel to the backpack is closing a tall container while the female a slim red haired woman desperately types commands on a computer while begging to the machine work faster.

After the base was hit by missiles and the power flickered to the red head's despair Benji, the armor clad man closed and locked the door of the container. The female sees with joy that the computer wasn't affected by the power fluctuation and she types the final commands. A bright burst of light and a massive popping sound follows the final pressing of a key, the container is now gone.

"It is gone now!" The red head shouts on a microphone, and her voice is heard by him thorough the speakers. "Benji go to the transporter chamber now." "Just set the timer and get down here Ruby!" Benji shouted back. "I am not leaving you here!" "I am going, just move there I am finishing the last commands." Ruby replied with a sad smile that Benji couldn't see.

Benji enters in the now empty chamber and waits by the door. "What the...?!" Benji shouted when the mechanical door shuts itself locking him inside the chamber. "Ruby! Ruby what the hell you are doing?!" Benji shouted hammering the door with his fists. "There isn't enough power for both of us jump." Ruby said and her image appears on a screen on the chamber. "And it would take too long for me to get there. The Britannia army breached the base and is nearly here, they also bombed our generators, I barely saved enough energy to your jump." "I am not leaving with out you!" Benji shouted to the screen.

"You have to; you are the only one remaining." Ruby replied with tears on her eyes. "The Stabber arrived safely on the drop zone. You have to save them from the invasion, or everyone's deaths will be in vain even mine. Just protect them from Britannia." "Ruby I can't leave you here! They will torture and rape you!" Benji shouted trying in vain to escape from the chamber.

"I won't live long enough to them do anything to me." Ruby said with a sad smile. "I mined the door, they enter we all die. You still have the Jealousy with you. The Prayer is inside the Stabber. I am sorry that I will cause you even more suffering, all that I do is trouble you since we met. Good bye love, don't let my death be in vain." After those words she strikes the final key and starts a new transport. "It seems that I won't live long enough to see if you arrived safely." she whispered seeing a large group of soldiers about to break down the door.


	2. Arrival

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen and Code Geass story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. I own Benji Himura and others original characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

I want to thank Andou Masaki for the idea of this story, the personal review of the rough sketch of the prologue and the idea for the title of this story.

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Code Geass: The Blooming Cherry Blossom Enigma

Chapter one: Arrival

Benji lands hard on a roof that collapses with the impact causing him to fall more until he crashes on the floor inside the construction. In pain Benji clutches his chest gasping for air inside the now closed helmet of his armor.

After few moments of pain Benji stays still crying for the death of Ruby, he knows that she died, there wasn't a way for her to be alive after he left he knew that she would rather die than fall in the hands of the Britannian army.

Many minutes pass with him crying, it was an alarm on his armor that made him stop and pay attention to it, in the lower left corner of his visor an small screen with the image of a woman wearing a maid outfit with long graffiti colored hair braided in two braids on the base of her neck and resting over her shoulders, finishing the outfit is a white cap adorning her hair.

"Master I registered an energy surge consistent with a transdimensional jump." The maid said in a clinical tone. "The energy signature is consistent with the recorded signature of the Britannian army's produced transport facility." "Shit they are way ahead the schedule in everything." Benji cursed standing up and pressing a button on his helmet opening it, then he cleans his eyes and closes the helmet again.

"Give me coordinates of the landing location and the best route on a map." Benji ordered in a serious tone. "Unable to comply." The maid replied in an emotionless tone. "Location and data unknown unable to create a map of the landscape."

Benji sighs and leaves the building; on the bottom of the maid's screen a blue bar with the word loading on it is quickly being filled. "Location acquired city data on the databanks." The maid said in her plain tone. "Third person view map created, activating filters and removing needless information."

In few seconds on the visor a map of the city made only of thin semitransparent lines appears with out blocking his vision. "So I am in Teito." Benji said reading the name of the city on the upper right corner of the visor. "Show the location of the container, Lisa." "Adding location of the container, angle of the map changed." Lisa replied moving her hands as if adjusting the map.

"Shit…fifty meters under the earth…" Benji said seeing the map. "The container's structure isn't compromised." Lisa said altering the map again and showing the location of the energy surge. "It is inside a large cave, however the cave is naturally sealed and I assume that filled with toxic fumes. In this moment detaining the invasion is most important than securing the container."

"Easy for you to say that." Benji said running to the location of the energy surge. "I am the one that has to take down knightmares without a knightmare." "Which is your specialty." Lisa replied in a teasingly tone, Benji couldn't help in smiling at the display of emotion. "ETA two minutes in current speed, battery cells with ninety eight percent of charge, total ammo available in this unit is exactly three hundred and two thousand and five hundred and ten rounds, anti-missile defenses, and heavier weaponry systems were removed from the unit."

"Break down the total of the ammunition to each caliber total." Benji commanded in a serious tone. "Currently there are three hundred thousand and four hundred rounds for the 5.7x28mm, one hundred for the .338lapua, and six hundred and seventy to the ninety millimeters heavy armor piercing rounds, six hundred and eighty for the .45ACP that combining all the ammo types." Lisa said displaying the numbers in the screen. "And lastly six hundred and sixty rounds of 10mm ammo. I am not counting to the total the eighty rounds of the heavier 25mm of the heavy anti knightmare rifle."

"It isn't all that much but I think that using it wisely it will last until I find a way to recover the container." Benji said in a serious tone. "No damage registered with the fall, all weapons are green, waiting for command." Lisa added with her hands together in front of her white apron. "Disable the ninety millimeters and ten millimeters arm cannons, retreat the feeding belt and tube, lock the ten millimeters arm cannon in single shot mode only, it can only be unlock with the usual password." Benji commanded. "Done." Lisa replied after few moments. "ETA one minute." The armor now changed with two of the three metal belts connecting the backpack to his left arm now removed

Benji arrives in the coordinates and sees at distance nine different colored robots that look something like a mixture of rice cooking pans and hard diving suits, he smiles seeing the group still moving while trying very hard to come up with an effective attack plan against a pair of Sutherlands with full battle equipment.

"Smart they are retreating using the city landscape." Benji whispered while pulling the thick tube from his back. "The Sutherlands don't know if the city is mined of if have more koubus here, they will move slowly while studying the situation. Just perfect." Benji pulls from the tube a long and heavy looking black rifle parts.

"Distance from the targets fifteen hundred meters." Lisa said while Benji assembles the rifle with practiced ease. "Easy shot." Benji comments while loading a large box magazine and pulling back the rifle bolt loading it. "Give me wind speed, gravitational pull and delay of the shot."

"Wind speed three kilometers per hour, gravitational pull results already send to the scope, delay of three seconds." Lisa answered in a plain tone. "Okay, is as perfect as it can be." Benji whispered looking thorough the scope and aiming. "I will take down only the pilots so I can use the Sutherlands, at the very least as spare parts."

"The outdated robots called koubus are now four blocks away from the Sutherlands, they seem to be discussing some kind of strategy to attack again." Lisa said to him. "Great, it will give me time to reach the Sutherlands." Benji commented. "Now stay in silence and let me aim, warn me if anything important is about to happen." "Understood." Lisa replied.

Benji takes a deep breath and waits, the closer Sutherland stops and scans the surroundings searching for traps. Benji pulls the trigger and don't even wait to see the result before chambering a new round and aiming to the second Sutherland. While Benji adjusts the aim the massive bullet pierces the armor of the cockpit and kills the pilot inside it before piercing on the other side and stopping on a wall.

The sound of the shot alerts everyone of his presence but is already too late for the second knightmare to react; the second shot were already fired and have the same result of the first. "Silver line reaction detected." Lisa warned in an emotionless voice. "Adding location of the silver threads to the aiming system."

Benji chambers a new round and fired at the top of the cockpits in a sturdy box, the box explodes in a silver burst of flame before vanishing; Benji repeats the process and runs to the two knightmares with out storing the rifle away. "The local defense force is hurrying to the knightmares, in our max speed we will have only twenty seconds of advantage over them." Lisa said now with a hint of worry on her voice.

"It is enough." Benji replied while jumping over the rooftops. "Start hacking on the closer frame, I want it open when I get there." "Complying." Lisa said furiously typing on a laptop.

Benji arrives and sees the cockpit open and the pilot with a large hole on his chest showing where the shot hit, in one side was just a hole of the size of a golf ball and a gaping hole on the exit wound that splattered blood on the cockpit. Benji tosses the body away and closes the cockpit.

"Ejecting the cockpit of the second frame." Lisa said before acting. "It will lessen the weight of the frame to levels that will allow this frame to drag it." Benji grabs the other frame by the hole left on the cockpit and sees the hanagumi approaching. "I will leave something for you to study." Benji said before giving the command of release of the machine gun. "For now good bye." After those words Benji launches a smoke bomb and flees of the location with the knightmare.

Confused the hanagumi doesn't know what to do. "Do not chase." A feminine voice said from the radio on the koubus. "At this point letting whoever is in there escape is the best solution, collect the dropped gun and that box and bring back to the base, we will study this as he said so." "Ryokai!" the hanagumi replied not truly happy in letting the frames escape.

In the underground base Kaede looks to a woman with shoulder long green hair. "You are sure of that Asa-san?" Kaede asked in a serious tone. "I am dead sure of that Kaede-dono." Asa replied in the same tone. "In the first attack you saw that the hanagumi barely scratched the Sutherlands."

"Besides there is only one person in the world able to take down a knightmare like that." She added with a smile. "And if he did what he just did it is better not to provoke him now, he is unruly and suspicious. For the moment we should give him space, let him get used to this place."

"But why he ran like that? If he is an ally why he is running?" Kaede asked confused. "Because he has no idea that you know about the invasion, he doesn't want to risk himself in making the first contact, he thinks that you might try killing him and steal the technology from him and that would lead to the victory for the Britannian invaders." Asa answered in a serious tone. "Don't worry he won't cause trouble. Right now he will lay low, he will mingle in the crowd and try to settle down."

"Asa-san there is corpse on the street what we do about it?" Ogami asked a bit shaken by the sight of the corpse. "Leave there for the clean up team. Maria-dono I want you to locate the projectiles that are imbedded on the walls, mark the location so the clean up team can extract them, I also want you to locate the direction of the shooting by the bullet's location, and we will look for the casings later." Asa commanded in a serious tone. "Why those are needed?" Kaede asked in a curious tone. "We need them to recreate those bullets; after all we will need more of those to take down the knightmares." Asa answered with a smile. "I am quite sure that he will like to know that we have a supply for him."

Kaede looks at the green haired woman in confusion, since her arrival she gave to them large amounts of information and a large leap forwards in technology advancements, she had to believe on her on her decisions she was right about the invasion even thought was earlier that she said that would be.

Asa is wearing a white, brown and tan uniform similar to a school sailor uniform and doesn't look older than nineteen years old, she has blue eyes and her skin is very white, almost unearthly white, she is playing with a longer strand of her hair tied with a thin black string.

"He will first find a hiding spot for the two Sutherlands, then he will leave them there with the automatic defenses on, he will dress on civilian clothes and try to make money by selling precious stones." Asa said in a casual tone. "Why doing that? Why not using money?" Kaede asked curious.

"Money from our world isn't worth the ink that is used on it here, however precious stones and metals are precious everywhere." Asa answered casually. "That is a universal truth. He will sell enough to buy real state, he will then buy a large warehouse or depot to hide the Sutherlands, he might live there for a while, while he buys and most likely rebuild a building in a area with a good view of the theater but at the same time an place that we won't notice, it might even be close enough to see the theater but far to get here by the streets."

"That is awfully vague." Kaede commented with a frown. "I know, that is the idea, he wants to be able to observe the theater from a safe distance but at the same time being in a place that no one will notice it." Asa explained with a smile. "He will also try to start a business, something like a café or a dinner, and it will be a huge success because the ground breaking recipes and never seem before products, that will give him a good cover as well giving him an steady source of income with out raising questions."

"How you know that much about his actions?" Kaede asked confused. "Simple, it was his plan after all." Asa said with a playful smile "After we arrived on this world we would try to mingle here, we would sell some gems to raise money and purchase the depot or warehouse, then we would buy and build a café, restaurant or dinner as a front, it would be positioned close of the theater so it would use the flow of guests from here as clients."

"That is a very well thought plan." Kaede said impressed. "With the plays that café would be always with clients before and after the plays, the location would also make it busy whenever not having a play and knowing the hanagumi they would most likely go there too if the food there is as you said that will be."

"I know that, it was part of his plan too." Asa replied casually. "That would make the hanagumi grow accustomed with our presence and would know when we finally revealed our intentions that we are allies and are trying to protect this place. Everything was planned on the minimal details."

Kaede nods agreeing she could see how well that plan would work. It was simple but very effective. "However I don't know what made him take the Sutherlands, he was supposed to be inside our own knightmare." Asa said with a grimace. "And everything is way far from the scheduled; everything was supposed to start in two months from today giving us more time to settle everything. Our team would arrive in two weeks and start to settle here, in six weeks after that the invasion would start but we would be ready to fend them off. Something is too wrong, way too wrong…" Kaede stays in silence not knowing what to say.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

One hour later the hanagumi is assembled in the briefing room, they are rather nervous and waiting for Asa to enter and explain then everything. Kaede and Yoneda are also there sited on their chairs also waiting for the briefing. Asa enters on the room with a serious expression on her face and places a laptop on the desk before connecting it to a socket and a screen behind her lithe up.

"As you all noticed the schedule changed with the sudden appearance of two Sutherlands here." Asa said in a serious tone while the screen displays images of the two knightmares. "And as you all confirmed they are stronger than the koubus, however even being a pressing issue isn't as pressing as what I am going to explain." Everyone stays in silence and the hanagumi wonders if whatever Asa was going to explain was more pressing than the sudden invasion of a much stronger enemy force.

"After the appearance of the enemy today I have confirmed the appearance of an ally." Asa continued in a serious tone. "However as the enemy he is also ahead of the schedule and that leads to the very troubling issue of what caused such rush on the plans. That rush also seems to have caused to our allies the loss of our two available knightmare frames, because our ally took the Sutherlands it is a certain that he isn't with any unit available."

"So that is why he wasn't in a robot?" Sakura asked confused. "Yes, that is why. If he had any of the two frames that we had he would have used it." Asa answered in a serious tone. "In our original plan we would try to disable the enemy's knightmares with out damaging them too much in order to use the parts as spares, however he killed the pilots with a heavy caliber anti-material rifle that means that the knightmare isn't available, but this isn't what is important."

"Then what is?" Ogami asked not understanding why the loss of two allied knightmares wasn't the real reason of the meeting. "There is only one of our allies here, his identity is as clear as crystal to me; after all in our world there is only one man that can take down a knightmare using a personal carried rifle." Asa said with a smile. "He is the leader of the Brazilian resistance and he is the one that is behind the entire defense plan to protect this world of the Britannian tyranny."

"Then why he hasn't joined us?" Maria asked confused. "Because in our original plans none of you would know about us or the invasion until it began. My action of starting our first contact as I did isn't known by our allies, my superiors since I removed my silver thread they assume that I died." Asa answered seriously. "Our plans were to settle down here and slowly get to know you all outside battle so after the first battle when you saw our two knightmares helping you to defend the city we would reveal our identities and start to give technologic aid as well battle aid and slowly increase the power of the defense forces around the globe in order to effectively protect the world from both the supernatural evil that you face as the Britannian evil."

"I see." Maria murmured understanding; she can easily understand why he didn't come forward after taking the two knightmares. He could even be expecting them to be hostile or even believing that he was part of the enemy send there to weaken them from the inside as they did with Asa.

"My superior is now hiding somewhere in the city and we will leave him alone for a while." Asa said to everyone. "Whatever happened in my world must be really serious and he for sure is unruly and suspicious even a bit defensive. He won't be acting nice, he is very well armed and is very dangerous, he is a know expert in combating knightmares with personal weapons, if he feels threatened by us he wouldn't hesitate in wounding us to escape, he believes that he must protect us even against out will. He thinks that we don't know anything about the invasion."

"Why protect us against our will?" Orihime asked not understanding. "If he was chased he would attack because he wants to protect this world even if every inhabitant doesn't know about the threat and think that he is the enemy." Asa explained. "That isn't important, what I want is to you all be careful, right now he must be like a caged wounded animal, he will be attacking everyone that he thinks that is threatening him. So we will let him calm down."

"For how long?" Reni asked in her usual tone. "Few days, one week or two on the tops." Asa replied. "Right now he must be dressed in civilian clothes and is walking on the shopping district in order to sell precious stones to rise founds to carry the plan. We will let him do it; he will later try to rent or buy a location to hide the knightmares in a more permanent location and will live there until he finds a good location for the next stage of the plan."

"Why we are allowing him to do that?" Kanna asked not understanding anything, if he was an ally he should join them. "Because following the plan will make him relax and won't be as hostile when we approach him." Asa answered. "Imagine that you were wounded and are in pain, if someone approached you it is very likely that you would attack the person even if that person is trying to aid you. We have to treat him like that, give him space and let him heal, if he is here alone and without a knightmare I am sure that there was battle in our world, he must still be on fighting mode. We give him time and he will slip out of it."

"Now I understand, it makes some sense." Kanna commented with a large smile. "Continuing, he will try buying a building or a house in a six blocks radius from the theater." Asa continued. "Afterwards he will rebuild the place in order to suit the needs settled in the plan. I plan in meeting him during this phase of the plan."

"By finding a new construction area around the theater it will lead us to the person behind it and that person is our ally." Reni said explaining to everyone. "Exactly Reni-chan, you are so smart." Asa said with a smile. "On the mean time we will try to reverse-engineering everything that we can on the discarded cockpit from that Sutherland as well from the assault rifle that he left behind, with those samples we can at the very least increase the firepower of Maria-dono's koubu. Is that clear to everyone?"

"Yes it is." Everyone replied casually. "Well then now I will start the arrangements of the disassembling of the cockpit." Asa said to them. "You all can continue the briefing if your commander want to." "You are all dismissed." Yoneda said to the hanagumi after standing up. The hanagumi stands up, salute the older man and leave the room.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

On the meantime Benji leaves the abandoned warehouse that he is using to hide the knightmares. "It is quite good that Teito does have the destroyed area from the kouma war." Benji whispered adjusting the collar of his well worn leather jacket; he is wearing a pair of simple black shoes, jeans pants, a white shirt and a dull black leather jacket, nothing that could attract attention to him knowing that his clothes are not uncommon on that time and world.

After one and a half hour Benji arrived in Ginza, in there he starts to look around for jewelry shops to sell the not so small stash of stones that he is carrying. Finding few jewelry shops Benji had three stones appraised and evaluated; Lisa is hearing everything and aiding him to discover if the manager is lying.

It takes over one hour of negotiation and a couple trips to the bank in the store's behalf to close the deal, Benji was content since he had made a little above what he expected to make with the sale. "Sir you really don't want to see that ruby pendant?" The manager asked pointing to a ruby pendant shaped as a long crystal hanging on a silver necklace. "I can make a really good price for a hexagonal cut long ruby of that size."

"This isn't for sale." Benji replied placing the necklace under his shirt. "I see, I won't ask again." The man said placing a leather briefcase over the desk. "Here is the payment for the three diamonds." Benji takes the case and opens it quickly checking the wads of money.

"Everything is fine." Benji said closing the case again after taking one of the wads and pocketing it. "If I have new stones I will bring here first, how it sounds?" "It sounds perfect for me sir, the quality of your stones are so high that I will happily buy any other that you might acquire." The man replied in a content tone.

After few more pleasantries Benji leaves the store, now outside the store Benji pulls two black cable ties and passes it over the case and tightly seals the case with them to prevent incidents of it opening unless he really wants it.

Benji moves to another store to purchase few more needed goods, while supplied with some basic gear the armor's backpack was mostly filled with combat equipment, the clothes that he is wearing, few clean changes of underwear, a small first aid kit, a personal hygiene kit and two meals worth of military rations.

Feeling tired after everything even with few hours resting Benji decides to end the excursion; he had purchased mostly everything that he needed to live in the warehouse for few days.


	3. Resistance

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen and Code Geass story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. I own Benji Himura and others original characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

I want to thank Andou Masaki for the idea of this story, the personal review of the rough sketch of the prologue and the idea for the title of this story.

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Code Geass: The Blooming Cherry Blossom Enigma

Chapter two: Resistance

Asa sighs tiredly while resting in her chair in her office, she had expend hours to clean and disassembling the cockpit of the Sutherland until she was satisfied and the scientists could exam the interior and the technology there.

It would take months for them to recreate the technology even with the huge boost that Asa gave to them. It was still complex to produce every needed component, specially the electronic components. That world lacked the years of experience and knowledge to build everything, even the precision robotic computer controlled machinery to build the micro-circuits and other components.

And that wasn't Asa specialty, she was a rather good technician and was able to repair most of the damages in a knightmare, but the production of each part wasn't part of her knowledge, even having the designs on her ever present laptop. It was always lacking something important, as the process of manufacturing the prime-mater of the armor or another important detail about another part.

It was taking a large amount of effort and trials to make small advanced on the path of recreating that technology. 'No wonder the leader wanted us to bring everything that we needed as well the production plans of everything that we use including how to produce each part.' She thinks pinching the bridge of her nose.

It wasn't only troublesome to attempt to recreate the advanced technology of her world there but it was even more troublesome to create systems, accessories, connections and cables to allow interaction of her technology and the current technology of that world, it took months to create everything and to not damage the rather frail computer systems of the teigeki and of the research compounds Asa was forced to make her computer work with one tenth of the average processing speed, otherwise it would overload the crude network and computers of that period.

Converting the information of the defense force, armies and other important sources of information was taking nearly all of her time, their computers doesn't accept the system and the archives of her computer, and her computer couldn't even read the files of their computers, while it could store it all in one small file.

Asa knew that planning on those incompatibilities Benji planned in not mixing the technology, he had said that it was like trying to place jet engines in a rock and expect the rock to activate and control the engines. It was a rather crude example and sadly very accurate.

More Asa worked in advancing the technology there more she saw how hard it was to achieve a close approximation of what she wanted and most of the times it wasn't compatible with her technology, but that didn't discouraged Asa each attempt was a huge leap on that world's technology and each one of those leaps brought that technology closer of what she has.

Those advancements were quickly added in a new generation of koubus, they were faster and more efficient, the reactors and steam chambers evolved in such a way that the hanagumi was now able to battle for the double of the original time using half of the original quantity of fuel and energy.

A new generation of sensors, actuators and targeting systems were added to them increasing the efficiency of the koubus in two hundred percent. Needless to say that the council of the elders were more than happy with the advancements not only for military, while Asa attempted to create a new generation of computers able to interact with the technology of her world the computers there were advancing in an insane rate.

A knock on the door breaks Asa from recalling the hardships of her chosen path. "Who is it?" Asa asked. "It is me." Reni replied from the other side of the closed door. "Come in." Asa said in a casual tone. In her time there she got quite close of the German teen; Asa couldn't help in feeling oddly connected to her.

"Excuse me." Reni said entering on the office. "Anything wrong Reni-chan?" Asa asked with a smile. "There isn't anything wrong ma'am." Reni answered. "I am just curious about that ally that you mentioned before, everyone else aren't really interested on it. Kohran is too busy with the cockpit, Maria with the gun. Kanna, Sakura, Sumire, Iris and Orihime don't care about those details to worry about them when not in the field. Ogami is busy trying to come with some strategy to defeat those knightmares."

"I can understand you and everyone else." Asa commented gesturing to Reni to sit down. "Everyone must be curious too, but since I told that we won't interact with him until a second command they decided to focus in more immediate things. You are just more honest with your desire to know."

Reni stays in silence. "What you want to know?" Asa asked opening a drawer and pulling from it a bowl filled with candy drops, she offers to Reni that politely refuses. "How he was able to do what he did when not even Kohran's rockets couldn't damage the armor of the knightmares?" Reni asked while Asa pops one of the drops on her mouth.

"Well Reni-chan my leader uses a very especial round." Asa begins pulling her laptop and turning it on. "He uses an altered 25mm round, in my world that round is used as anti-ship and anti-aircrafts round because it's high power." Asa shows to Reni a picture of a very large round with a four colored projectile. "This is a photograph of one type of that round; it is a heavy armor piercing, explosive, incendiary, tracer projectile. Normally that one is used when we want to give the location to our group to focus there, the tracer allows us to see the path and fire at the tame target when fighting at night."

Reni nods understanding. "Normally what kind of round he uses is determinate by what he want to do, the most common is the plain armor piercing." Asa continued. "We usually take over the unmanned armored units to use against them, but the armor piercing, explosive and incendiary round is also very used, especially against aircrafts."

"But he can fire that weapon easily?" Reni asked. "He has to lie down to get the best accuracy; the recoil is too strong to take when kneeled or standing." Asa answered. "But with the development of the personal battle armor he can fire standing, kneeled, crouched and even running with a very good accuracy. He also has a very odd rifle that he uses against personal and lightly armored vehicles. He is a hell of a sniper."

"How he became the leader of the Brazilian resistance?" Reni asked with a hint of curiosity on her voice. Asa chuckles lightly at her curiosity. "Unlike other resistances around the globe the Brazilian resistance wasn't created because our country was conquered by the Britannian Empire" Asa answered. "You see the Portugueses were very, very stupid and in my world's past made very large debt with the Britannian emperor, to pay that debt they gave up on Brazil that back then was a colony like the United States once were, in our world they never got independent the Britannian crushed the revolution, one hundred years after that they gained Brazil because of that debt, from there conquering the Central America was easy."

"I can easily see that outcome." Reni said. "Having so much of the American territory it was easy to conquer everything else." "And it was, because of that everyone in America is also Britannian and the land is Britannian property at least that is what the empire likes to say." Asa continued. "From Brazil alone the empire extract most of it's wealth, you see Reni-chan Brazil used to have many large veins of precious metals and stones, it also have a large area where farms could be build, in a couple hundred of years Brazil became a very important piece for the empire and was fiercely defended from invaders and now is what the empire call of paradise, it produces metal, food, energy as fuels and electricity, pleasure with the tourism, and wealth and products with large factories and industries."

"I still can't see why after so many years of Britannian rule a resistance was born." Reni commented. "I am getting there." Asa replied with a smile. "It is confusing, and because that same rule it was very hard for us to get new members, actually since the birth of the resistance we never had a single new member." "I don't understand." Reni said actually confused.

"While everyone knows Brazil as a paradise and a place of wealth and pleasure no one actually cared to see what happens with those attracted by its light and promise of wealth." Asa said now in a serious tone. "Many people migrated to Brazil hoping for a better life, but when arriving they found harsh working conditions and bad salaries, but it was much better than from where they came. More and more people kept immigrating even illegally, but when the market was saturated they couldn't find work and many lived miserably on the backstreets and alleys, with the passing years the numbers kept growing, you see Reni-chan the only pleasure of the poor and the miserable is the sex and because lack of control, information and proper cares they end having children when not wanting, that increase the number of poor people living under the misery line."

"I see." Reni said a bit surprised. "Those people could either try to raise the child, give the child away, kill the child or abandon the child, many of those cases the child ended dead, few ones were lucky of being found or even saved, the ones that were given away mostly were left in churches knowing that the church will at the very least raise the child as a nun or a priest." Asa continued. "That is one of the reasons, but those people often invaded hills and other bad locations to build houses made of left over wood, planks and other materials that could be used, those locations are called favelas."

Asa pauses and swallow the candy now tasting bitter; she takes a deep breath and continues. "Even with that growing issue many were still homeless, but all of them were desperate. Many threw away decency and other values and became thieves, murders, robbers and other kinds of criminals; I won't deny that for every three criminals there were still seven honest people trying to survive."

"As the violence grew the local governor took harsh measure to fight it, severe punishments for crimes were imposed, criminals that were caught more than three times were killed, death penalty was common for many crimes, imprisoning was considered waste of the Crown's money, it was mostly reserved to criminals of Britannian families or even rich families." Asa continued. "With the homeless people numbers growing with the immigration and the birth rate the government was starting to worry about what to do with it. That isn't the cause of the resistance, the cause was another one."

Reni nods trying to imagine the scenario painted by Asa's words. "The Emperor has a philosophy of survival of the fittest and often preaches over inequality and competition, quite often hints about war and openly support battles." Asa said with a clear hint of hate on her voice. "That way of thinking leads to a very aggressive heavy competition in every aspect of the Britannian Empire. That way of thinking created what our leader called Secret Corporative War; to be honest he couldn't be more accurate with that name.

"Why? The corporations created armies to fight each other?" Reni asked confused. "That too, it was much more complex that open war. Companies can't have the fame of killing people, it is bad for business. They are more subtle, they do have private armies, bodyguards, assassins, elite forces, infantry, black ops and even cannon fodder." Asa explained. "The cannon fodder are criminals that mostly don't know what they are doing or even why, they are paid by someone connected to the company and give them orders, weapons and targets, because they are criminals and don't know why they are attacking those are considered random acts of violence. The other groups and units are reserved for other situations."

"Name some." Reni said now interested, she never thought that companies could be like that. "Assassinating key people in a rival company or the owner of something that they want, kidnapping a scientist of a rival company, stealing information, spying, and the list are huge, you think they have done before and have experts to do it." Asa replied. "They don't care about people; they only care about money, power, fame and contracts."

"Contracts?" Reni asked confused. "Contracts with military forces, the empire and other contracts that move an unthinkable amount of money." Asa explained. "For those companies does anything, steal plans of rival, forge accusations against the rival, and they kill, intimidate, bribe and do anything and everything to win. And this leads to the cause of the birth of the resistance."

"I don't understand." Reni said looking at the green haired woman. "I can understand your confusion, it is complex but now it will be explained." Asa said with a gentle smile. "Some corporations wanted to increase their power by creating better weapons, the empire loves new, better and more powerful weapons; however one company decided to go on another way, instead of creating weaponry they wanted to create a machine that allowed them to steal the information directly from the brain of people with information that they want to have. That project started a series of other projects that led to the fall of that company and eventually to the birth of the resistance."

"I still don't understand why the resistance was created and why that man is the leader." Reni said sounding honestly confused. "It is still too soon for you to learn every detail of that story." Asa said with a sad smile. "It is long, complex and very sad. But the resistance was more than just a fighting group against the abominations of the empire, for us of the resistance it was a family, a place where we all equal, we were kin and no one would us for our past or what we suffered. Together we wanted to destroy the empire that created and allowed us to suffer how we did."

Asa rests her chin on her hand and closes her eyes. "It is kind of silly, the Brazilian resistance never interacted with other resistance groups, we are quite suspicious of everyone, after all we don't know if those so called resistance groups were actually empire groups hunting the resistances." Asa continued. "Our group wasn't really big, we have exactly one hundred and seventy two members that including our leader, we also are very serious in never being captured and by our own choice all of us had a kill switch that just us can activate, no one not even the leader can activate someone else's switch."

Reni stares in horror, she had heard of spies killing themselves to not reveal their mission, origin and other information that could prejudice their allies; she also heard about soldiers preferring to die before being captured than suffering tortures and imprisoning.

"Don't worry." Asa said with a smile. "Before I came here my switch was removed, it was a risk in the dimensional travel. The leader never had one to begin, you see Reni-chan each and everyone in the Brazilian resistance hold at least one secret that could fall on the Britannian hands and be used against not only us but everyone else, to prevent that from happening we have those kill switches, it triggers a special system that destroys our bodies and brain so nothing can be used by the enemy."

"That is so horrible." Reni said in a faint voice. "It is, but for us of the resistance were the certain of not dooming uncountable people with our dark secrets." Asa replied with a sad smile. "And was also a better than to die than suffer torture, interrogation and other kind of horrors that they would inflict us, including experiences and tests. Death is far better than that."

"But not everything was that gloom, we created two seventh generation knightmares using information and projects from another frame." Asa said with a bright tone. "Stabber and Archer; they were designed after our leader's strengths. The Stabber is a specialized short/medium range combat unit created to fight other knightmares, it has the most advanced weaponry for short and medium range combat and is able to cut a knightmare in the half vertically with one slash."

"Sounds very impressive." Reni commented. "It is; it was painted with dark colors, black, dark red and dark metal blue; and it is very, very fast." Asa continued. "The other frame is the Archer it is a long-medium range specialized knightmare; it is equipped with the most advanced and accurate weaponry. It can shoot down an enemy knightmare seventeen kilometers away from its position; the leader often called it of siege master. From an elevated position the Archer can effectively exterminate the enemy with out risks. One of our plans was to leave the Archer hidden in this theater in a high position, maybe the dome and have it sniping down the enemy from here."

"Wow." Was everything that Reni could say. "Yeah, wow. It was our first reaction to the finished Archer. Unlike the Stabber the Archer doesn't have the same systems; Archer's systems are made to be able to be very accurate in every circumstance, even in movement." Asa explained. "There was people that were against in making two units like that and wanted to blend those units, but it was too difficult to us to build it with the resources that we had, we didn't had enough material or time to build a mixed unit, not to mention that it wouldn't excel in any of those fields, it would be a good frame and it could be done if we had time for creating the project and adapting everything."

"I can understand some of the technical difficulties of such unit." Reni said seriously. "However I must say that the hybrid frame would be far superior a regular knightmare if following the specs of Archer and Stabber." "We know that, our leader agreed in investing some time to the project, we were calling it of Assassin." Asa replied. "We called like that because it was designed to be as a highly trained and skilled assassin able to fight in any distance needed with any weapon needed."

"Quite fitting." Reni commented. "What about we go eat something?" Asa said clapping her hands. "I don't know about you but I am hungry." "I think that I could eat something." Reni replied. "Good, I will make you a 'misto-quente." Asa said while they leave the office.

"What is that?" Reni asked curious. "It is a variation of grilled cheese sandwich." Asa explained. "But is also have ham on it. Misto means mix and quente means hot." "I see." Reni replied understanding. "It is tasty, I am sure that you will like it." Asa cheerfully said to the silver haired teen.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Inside a luxurious bathroom a tall and slim woman with long black hair is showering, mixed with the clear water on the light colored tiles a dark reddish substance runs to the drain.

After cleaning herself she wraps herself in a cream colored bathing robe and leaves the bathroom while toweling her long hair. "Lady Dia you have two visitors." A maid said from the entrance of the suite. "Are they reporters?" Dia asked moving to the bed and selecting her clothes from there. "If they are warn them that they have thirty seconds to run before I put on my underclothes and chase them with my pistol."

"That is so cruel." Euphemia said in a mix of disapproving, scared and worried tone. "And I am supposed to be the cold one." Cornelia commented amused. "It seems that your six years long vacation changed you."

"In more ways that you can possible imagine sister." Dia said while dismissing the maid. "But nothing changed here, I barely arrive home and they are already trying to force me back to those stupid classes. As if I would do now what I refused to do years ago."

"The years clearly haven't dampened your temper and polished your ways." Cornelia said while politely looking away while Dia put on her clothes. "Other than stating the obvious why the pleasure of the visit?" Dia asked in a mock polite tone.

"It has been six years after you left just wanting to see a beloved sister isn't enough?" Euphemia said in a meek tone. Dia smiles and walks to the pink haired girl. "You also didn't change." Dia said hugging Euphemia and ruffling her head. "Still meek as a kitten but is nice to see that you no longer is as flat as a board."

"That is mean!" Euphemia protested. "I am not that meek and we were kids last time we saw each other of course I didn't had breasts back then!" "Speaking of which I must say that for a tomboyish princess as you your body seems to have turned very, very feminine." Cornelia commented casually, she had missed those moments, with Dia there wasn't the need of decorum or politeness and they could just be sisters.

"Haven't I?" Dia replied posing a little. "For sure you have, but you can finish dressing, we can wait." Cornelia said pointing to Dia's clothes; she is wearing only a pair of small soccer short and a cut off tank top. "I am done." Dia said teasingly while showing off her breasts. "I am not going anywhere so I won't put on less comfortable clothes or even a bra; I work out a lot to have these babies nice and firm."

"As shameless as usual." Cornelia mocking sneered. "I am not ashamed of the gorgeous body that I was given." Dia said leading them out of the bedroom and to the kitchen/dining room. "Lady Dia I don't know what to prepare with the items that you requested." A second maid said seeing the royal trio entering on the kitchen. "Of course you don't." Dia said moving to the maid. "I am going to cook; you go to your quarters and way to be called to clean up."

"Yes your highness." The maid said not wanting to disobey the order of a princess, even the rumored runaway princess. "You cook?" Cornelia asked in disbelief. "Of course I do." Dia answered teasingly. "I cooked for myself while in my vacation. Let fix few dishes that I learned."

"Well I will call a medical team and have them waiting for three cases of food poisoning, severe food poisoning." Cornelia said in a teasingly tone while picking her phone. "Then you should call only one because it will be only your dishes that will be poisoned." Dia replied in the same tone while sorting the ingredients.

"God damned maids." Dia cursed seeing the French bread that she ordered. "What is wrong?" Euphemia asked blushing with the foul language of her half sister. "I told them to buy seven days old, hard French bread with out mold." Dia said tossing the bread on a large rectangular cake tin and placing it on the oven.

"What you would do with such disgusting bread?" Cornelia asked disgusted. "If kept properly the bread would only get hard." Dia said. "It is a quick way to make breadcrumbs and not wasting food."

"What you will be preparing?" Euphemia asked defusing an argument before it starts. "Deep fried spiced breaded beef, croquettes, pasta on garlic and oil, and for dessert lime mousse." Dia answered showing the ingredients. "You two sit down and chat with me while I cook. Fill me with the details of what happened while I was out."

"Nothing really important." Cornelia said sitting down and seeing Dia putting on an apron. "I am sure that your vacations must me more exciting than the boring balls and events of the court."

Dia laughed lightly. "For sure it was." She said cutting the beef in seven by three centimeters rectangles. "So what you saw and what you did?" Euphemia asked while paying attention to how Dia wields the knife.

"Brazil is a gorgeous place, not only the famous beaches and other tour places, the most beautiful places are mostly unknown by the world." Dia said in a light wistful tone. "I lived for years by this gorgeous deserted beach, the sand was very thin and white and the water as so blue."

"It must be wonderful." Euphemia said in wonder, picturing the scenery on her mind. "It was, but it wasn't only that the beach was surrounded by very thick woods, from the beach you can hear the sounds of the animals there." Dia added.

"Met anyone interesting?" Cornelia asked resting her chin on her hand. "Of course I did." Dia answered peeling some garlic. "After all I didn't learn to cook all by myself, someone had to teach me. These are some of the first dishes that I ate. Well the pasta is one of my favorites; it wasn't on the first meal that I ate."

"Who is that person?" Cornelia asked teasingly. "It is a man?" "Of course he is a man." Dia answered in a casual tone showing that it wasn't a teasing point. "That isn't proper." Euphemia commented. "We didn't live alone." Dia said. "There was more people living with us, we took turns in cooking and I leaned from everyone. 'It doesn't mater who you are, how strong and powerful you are. You will get hungry and if you are totally alone with food that can't be eaten raw you will die if not knowing how to cook it, cooking is the very base of human survival, if you are lost and know how to cook you will have more chances of surviving.'"

"Who said that?" Cornelia asked curious. "The same man that cooked my first commoner meal." Dia answered teasingly. "If you are lost and know how to cook you will have more chances of living to be rescued. Cooking is important; everyone should know how to cook, even if just a little."

"I am not interested." Cornelia said in a serious. "I won't lower myself to cooking." "Then starve." Dia replied also seriously. "Let's see how long you will last left alone in a place with no food as you know it." Cornelia clicks her tongue annoyed with the defeat, Dia was right the term food as she knows also include the military rations in the survival kit of her Gloucester, Cornelia isn't sure if she would be able to eating raw anything that she kill if lost and starving.

"How difficult it could be cooking?" Cornelia asked casually. "It is rather hard to do right, if you follow recipes then is quite easy, but takes time to get things right." Dia answered. "It took me weeks to get the spices right, even the mousse that is very easy took me over twenty times to get the right amount of lime juice, but it is quite rewarding to eat when done, specially if you worked hard for that meal."

"It does sound that the food will be tastier." Euphemia answered. "It does appear to be tastier." Dia agreed. "Euphie why you don't help me and cut the limes in four slices, peel and everything. Come on it will be easy and when you taste it you will love it. I can foresee you making over and over again."

Euphemia blushes but agrees in helping, she takes an apron that Dia offers and puts it on. "Cut it like this, it easy, just be careful to not cut yourself." Dia said teaching to the younger princess. Euphemia nods and carefully cuts the limes. "That is good, now you open those four cans." Dia said pointing to the cans. "Two of them are condensate milk and the other two milk cream; when you are done I want you to pour the contents in this bowl."

Euphemia nods and rather clumsy does so; Cornelia smiles seeing the scene years had passed since they last were together and usually they had to force Dia to play of more feminine games as house or cooking, seeing Dia to actually teach Euphemia was a surprising event, a rather pleasant one.

"That is good, mix everything with the whisker." Dia said casually. "It won't be all that soft but won't be hard, mix until the cream and the milk is fully mixed together." "Hai." Euphemia answered obeying.

"I think that is done." Euphemia said after a couple of minutes whisking the mixture. "I think that too, good job." Dia said with a smile after looking at the mixture. Euphemia blushes and smiles back. "Now I want you to fill one of the milk cans with lime juice, squeeze as many as it takes to fill it, when done add the juice to the mixture and whiskers again until it is fully incorporated."

"Hai!" Euphemia exclaimed now excited with the new thing. Cornelia watches amused and wonders if she should try to have a taste of the mixture or wait until it was done, she notices how fast Dia's hands are working to make the dinner, she haven't even noticed when Dia took the now hard bread from the oven and blended it to a thin flour.

Dia not very skillfully but not clumsily places one by one the meat pieces dipped on a whisked egg and on the flour to fry in a tall pan with oil.

The scent of the spiced frying beef was enticing and was making the trip hungrier. "I must say that if the taste is as good as the scent it will be decent." Cornelia said mocking the younger princess. "I might not be a very skilled cook but everyone said that my food was tasty." Dia replied casually, not really affected by the insult. "And before you say anything no one knew that I was a princess, unlike you two I am not very famous and I like that."

Cornelia could understand that, she was too famous and there were moments that she couldn't rest because her reputation, she had to be a hardened and cold warrior princess. The few moments where she relaxed was with Euphemia, but because the turmoil of a new invasion on a Mid-East country those were getting rarer and rarer, she couldn't even enjoy the return of Dia because in few days she will be leaving for that battle.

"That amount is good; now add to the mixture and whisker." Dia said to Euphemia. The other princess nod and obeys being careful to not to spill any of the juice. Cornelia stands up and looks at the bowl and the mixture, the thick milk and cream mixture wasn't mixing to the thinner juice and slowly it was breaking to mix to it.

After a little over half an hour the three princesses are eating and chatting happily. "Why you don't come with us to a ball tomorrow?" Euphemia asked after drinking some water. "It will be a farewell ball for Cornelia-oneesama that will be leaving for battle in the day after tomorrow."

"Euphie you know as well as I do how much Dia hates formal parties and dressing up." Cornelia said in a light tone. "And I am not really forward to that ball either; I hate those kinds of thing." "Normally I wouldn't go but since Euphie asked and six years passed since we have been together I think that I can make an exception." Dia said in a casual tone. "Besides it will be interesting to see how everyone will react to the first public appearance of Dia Mon Britannia in six years. After all I am Fourteenth princess of the Britannian Imperial Family."

"No one denies that." Cornelia said. "But I am quite unsure if it will be wise, you never was very polite in parties or behaved well on them, quite often lacked decorum too, we aren't children anymore. You can't just act as you did back then."

"Trust me sister I am very aware of that." Dia replied. "Not only my body matured and I learned new things, I do know how to behave in parties and you will see that I can be very, very suited to that environment."

Cornelia really couldn't believe on Dia's words, Dia was quite famous for being the most troublesome princess of the Imperial Family even being from full noble birth, Dia was spirited and hated to be forced to do things. "I just hope that no one that you sullied, insulted, tricked or hurt in the past is on tomorrow's party." Cornelia said. "I will send a car for you at nine." "That is perfect; you will see how well I can behave when I want to." Dia replied with a bright smile. "Now, now let's have dessert and see how well Euphie did the mousse."

"I haven't done anything else that following orders." Euphemia said in a meek tone. "I hope that it is good." "Don't worry Euphie this recipe is so simple but so simple that is very hard to get it wrong." Dia commented cheerfully while handing out glasses filled with the light greenish white mousse. "It will be delicious, you will see."

End of the chapter two:

Please read and review. And I would like to thank everyone that have read and reviewed and to everyone that is reading this story.


	4. Shards

Hi this is Benji Himura

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen and Code Geass story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. I own Benji Himura and others original characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

I want to thank Andou Masaki for the idea of this story, the personal review of the rough sketch of the prologue and the idea for the title of this story.

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Code Geass: The Blooming Cherry Blossom Enigma

Chapter three: Shards

Benji yawns and stretches tiredly, he sits up on the hard ground of the warehouse and picks his rolled up jacket from the ground where it was serving as his pillow and puts it on.

"What time is it Lisa?" Benji asked combing his tangled hair with his fingers. "Nine and thirty six in the morning." She answered. "My battery is currently with twenty percent of the charge and I request a recharge." "You just love being shaken around." Benji said reaching to the backpack with his equipment and fishing a PDA like device. "Admit it."

"I shall not admit such a thing." Lisa said in mock indignation with her image appearing on the screen of the PDA. Benji chuckle and shakes the PDA hard for a short while. "Battery successfully recharged; power in one hundred percent." Lisa said poorly hiding the pleasure and enjoyment of her voice.

Benji puts a small ear piece on his right ear and the screen on the PDA goes blank. "I have to brush me teeth and go have some breakfast." Benji muttered now fishing for his hygiene kit. "What you discovered from the knightmares?"

"Both of them are in pristine conditions, everything can be used with efficiency and I finished altering the cockpit program and the hardware program in both units." Lisa answered while Benji brushes his teeth. "However I must voice my concern about the lack of energy fillers, currently we have only two fillers that are in the two units that we stole. It might not last more than four battles."

"Hopefully we will steal more from the Britannian until them." Benji said after spitting on a corner. He washes his mouth and stores the items away in the backpack, he quickly pulls a rather large pistol from it and holsters it on the small of his back, he take four magazines and pockets them.

"Scan the surroundings." Benji said while closing the backpack. "No life form detected." Lisa answered, her voice coming from the ear plug on his ear. "Good." Benji whispered placing the backpack inside the knightmare cockpit together with the money briefcase. "Lock the cockpit; activate defenses when I leave the area."

"Yes sir." Lisa replied while Benji quickly leaves the knightmare and moves out of the warehouse. "Defense active, cockpit locked, activating emergency solar panels to collect energy for the defenses."

Benji sighs and keeps walking knowing that Lisa will do everything flawlessly. He had to move on and proceed with his plan even alone. With some money from the jewels on his pocket Benji leaves the destroyed part of Teito.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Reni enters in the underground training area holding a long polished wood case; she is wearing her usual clothes. She enters in one of the many buildings of the training area; she climbs the stairs until she is on the roof of the building.

In there she walks to the edge of the rooftop and lies down over a blanket that was lying there. She opens the case and reveals a Lee-Enfield rifle from it and she removes the rifle from the case, it is altered with sniper modifications and a small bipod. She looks thorough the scope to another rooftop around nine hundred meters away from her position.

Reni breathes slowly while aiming at the dirt filled tin cans nailed in an iron protection on that roof, she fires one shot that hits one of the ten cans. Reni reloads and fires again in another can after aiming.

"Not bad." Maria said looking Reni from behind. Reni let out an exclamation of surprise and rolls over seeing Maria. "Sorry for startling you." Maria said in a gentle tone. "But I had to tell that you are doing really well. From here I can tell that you hitted the target."

"Thank you for the compliment." Reni said embarrassed in being so focused in the cans and not noticing Maria. "So this is why you asked me about a good rifle." Maria said kneeling next to Reni. "Sniper mods and some really stunning innovations, bipod to a sniper rifle very creative, it keeps the rifle in the same level and allows more accuracy."

Reni hands the rifle to Maria that checks it thoroughly. "Why you are here?" Reni asked knowing that no one other than her used that room when there wasn't training with the koubus in the fake city.

"I saw you carrying the case and sneaking down here." Maria answered while operating the bolt with practiced ease and chambering a new round. "I wondered what you would do and followed you. I never knew that you were interesting in sharp shooting."

"After the accident I thought in training few other skills." Reni commented in a serious tone. Maria aims at the cans while kneeled and fires once. "It is very well aligned." Maria commented. "You clean it regularly?"

"Every time that I use it I clean it afterward." Reni answered. "Good, a well kept gun will never let you down in an emergency." Maria commented handing the rifle to Reni. "You never really told us what happened during those weeks that you were missing."

"I don't like to speak about it." Reni said in a serious tone. "You don't have to." Maria said sitting down on her legs. "No one will force you even being curious, as long you are safe and well the details aren't important."

"I am well and safe." Reni said ejecting the empty cartridge and loading the magazine with new rounds to replace the used ones. "You don't have to train here all alone." Maria commented you can call me whenever you feel like." Maria offered.

"Thank you, I will consider it, but sniping is a lonely assignment." Reni replied. "One must be alone behind the enemy lines scouting or killing assigned targets, guards or even sentinels; training alone is the closest way of training in real conditions."

Maria nods understanding but wondering from where she took those ideas, their time there is ended with the sound of alarms. "An attack!" they exclaim as one, Reni hurriedly stores her rifle and run away with Maria.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

It is way past noon and Benji tiredly sits down in a bench in the Mt Ueno, he walked for hours looking for buildings or houses on sale around the theater and he didn't find anything. In the real state companies they had other locations but nothing that suited Benji's needs; they were in the other side of the city.

Benji sighs not expecting to meet that kind of hardship. "Maybe I should have planned things differently." Benji muttered looking at the city. "I can't even get the Stabber out of that cave. Archer is deep in the ocean because a miscalculation."

"Short on ammo, short in energy, short in resources and lacking fighting power." Benji said in a thoughtful tone. "Just like back then, but this time I am unable to return to allied territory or resupply in allied bases."

"Transdimensional energy surge detected." Lisa said in a serious tone. "Several small jumps; consistent with deployment of soldiers." "Display location on the com link." Benji said pulling the PDA from his pocket. "Shit it is in Ginza."

Benji runs in the direction of the invasion knowing that he doesn't have time to return and arm himself, he would have to fight the soldiers using the gun that he is carrying. Quickly Benji arrives in Ginza and sees the crowd running away in fear while a group of soldiers in their usual battle gear and with environmental protections fire at the crowd.

Benji pulls his pistol and fires at the closer soldier; the right eye of the mask explodes in a mass of blood and shattered glass. Benji continues to fire at the group of soldiers and counts twenty of them, Benji's shots quickly diminishes the group that now fires against Benji.

Benji runs from the line of fire while reloading his pistol, he finds cover behind a car's engine block. Benji knows that the soldiers are moving to surround him, he leaps over the car and charges at the closer soldier while head shooting him. Benji stays behind the corpse holding it under the arms with his arms while firing with his pistol and the soldier's machine gun.

Soon it is over and Benji tucks the pistol on his belt and quickly reloads the machine gun with a clip stolen from the dead soldier. "Shit." Benji cursed when the nine koubus fall around him. "It took too long."

Benji kneels to reach to one of the flash grenades on soldier's vest and use it to escape. Before he can reach the grenade one of the koubus hatch opens and the pilot jumps out of it.

"Benji don't do it!" Reni shouted running to him. "It is me remember?!" She shows him her right hand that is holding cloth necklace with a long metal pendant on it. "You gave me this!"

"Reni!" Benji exclaimed surprised. "I knew that was you! I knew when I was told that was a lone sniper with a heavy rifle!" Reni exclaimed tackle-hugging Benji. To everyone else in the hanagumi that is a total surprise.

Benji smiles but doesn't respond to the hug, he isn't sure of how everyone else will react to him. "No one will harm you." Reni said looking up to him. "We already know everything about the invasion."

"How?" Benji asked in a confused tone. "Because I told them." Asa said walking out from a car that arrived few moments before. "Asa?!" Benji exclaimed surprised. "We thought that you were dead!" "I removed my silver thread to stay here." Asa replied. "I decided to prepare things here for us, it would be easier if they already knew about the invasion and were ready for it."

Benji gently peels Reni from himself and moves to Asa. "You stupid bitch!" Benji shouts hitting Asa's head hard with his closed first. "OUCH!!" Asa exclaimed kneeling and holding her head. "You have any idea of the sorrow of the others when the thread returned severed?!" Benji shouted to the green haired woman. "Everyone cried for days! You risked the entire project because no one else wanted to risk another one of us to stabilize the traveling!"

"I did what I thought that would be the best!" Asa shouted back standing up but still rubbing her head. "Benji you don't have to be so severe with Asa-san." Reni said in a level tone. "Her stay with us have given us large advancements in our technology."

"Anyone minds in explaining why Reni knows the leader of the Brazilian resistance?!" Orihime shouted leaving her koubu. "No idea." Asa said in a casual tone. "Not telling." Benji and Reni said in a flat tone. "AAaarrrggghhhh!!" Orihime exclaimed at the duo. "They are acting as one already!"

"I think that right now the most important thing is secure the wounded ones, gather the equipment of the dead soldiers before the threads pull them back." Benji says to Asa. "You are right." She replied. "Let's cut the threads." Benji nods and they begin to shoot at a thick antenna on the soldiers right legs; a risk of silver vanishes after the shot. The hanagumi watches in silence.

"Why you two are doing that?" Reni asked while Benji and Asa continue to shoot on the antennas. "To prevent them from pulling the soldiers back, I am sure that they have cameras and other recording devices, what we want other than their weapons and ammo is to make them wonder the size and skill of the army that we have." Asa explained. "By cutting the threads and preventing the dead soldiers and other units from returning they will be blind."

Reni nods understanding, preventing the enemy of gathering intelligence in order to confuse it. The duo ends that task rather quickly. "Come on boss I am sure that you want to check out everything that I did." Asa said with a smile. "Let's go to the theater and later we go get the knightmares that you stole from the Britannian."

Benji nods and follow Asa, Reni returns to her koubu and they leave Ginza, the tsukigumi will deal with the clean up of the corpses. Shortly they arrive in the theater; Benji was rather impressed in seeing the teigeki so closely.

"It was troublesome but in my months here we were able to convert some of their technology to be compatible with ours, at the very least I am able access their data using my computer but I can't use one tenth of the average speed of my computer." Asa said in a serious but happy tone. "We are currently trying to improve their technology to at the very least produce some robots close of the knightmares, since they already have robot technology it isn't all that hard to but we can't give the leap, it lacks the advanced computers and other important machinery that makes the knightmare work."

"That is why we would be bringing everything that we needed including the scientists that we had, they knew how to make everything needed to make knightmares and computers." Benji said in a serious tone. "What happened?" Asa asked seriously, she was holding back that question until then.

"I am not sure of how they discovered our base but the Britannian army attacked us with the full power of their army of the Brazilian bases." Benji answered in a somber tone. "Everyone moved to combat and died, they kamikazed themselves with large bombs to buy time for Ruby send our knightmares and me here."

"What happened to her?" Asa asked in a dark tone, she knew that was bad but hoped that wouldn't be. "I assume that she died, she transported me before anything happened to her, but she said that mined the door of the control room." Benji answered. "What about Stabber and Archer?" Asa asked.

"Archer is lost; it is deep in the ocean in the edge of the Mariana trench." Benji answered darkly. "Stabber is in a cave deep under the ground somewhere not so far from this city, but the cave is naturally sealed, it seems that it was made by a pocket of natural gas."

"Damn…" Asa cursed hearing just what she didn't want to confirm. "Any idea of why the knightmares ended in those coordinates?" "I am assuming that either Ruby typed the wrong coordinates or the battle made the systems unstable and sent them in random location near Teito and Japan." Benji answered. "I was sent over a rooftop thirty meters above the rooftop."

"It is a good thing that you don't die even killing." Asa said in a mock playful tone, it was hard to her accept the loss of all her friends. "What we do now?" "We work with we got and try to find a way to recover at the very least the Stabber." Benji answered seriously. "We dig or blast open the cave, but get the container out, the container doesn't only have the Stabber but also contains computers, parts, weapons, plans and all the other technology that we would bring."

"I guess that is the better way." Asa commented. "But at the very least we have two working Sutherlands that we can use." Benji said trying to lighten up the mood. "But just one working cockpit." Asa replied. "The cockpit that you left behind is being studded and reverse-engineered as we speak." "It isn't all that bad as long it can be put back in one piece and work." Benji said in a light tone. "At least we have two knightmares, weapons, ammo and the boosts that you gave to the defense force. It is better than nothing."

"I know but it is kind of hard to be cheerful in this situation." Asa said crying. "How you stay positive like this?" Benji smiles and gently hugs Asa comforting her. "I know that they would feel worse if I sulked and forgot why they gave their lives for, the only thing that I can do to honor them is to continue strong and fulfill our mission of protecting this world from the Britannian."

Asa clenches her hands grabbing the front of his shirt and cries loudly. "Go on, it is okay to cry." Benji whispered gently caressing her green hair. The hanagumi arrives and look confused at the duo, Maria and Reni had an idea of what might have happened and move away taking everyone else with them.

One hour later Asa introduced Benji to everyone in the theater, and Benji took the tsukigumi to the warehouse where he was staying to retrieve the knightmares and the remaining equipment that he has.

In the hangar the hanagumi stares in awe at the knightmares, it was the first time that they had the chance of looking it carefully; it was bigger than the koubus. "It will be easy to repair the bullet hole in the cockpit." Asa said examining the cockpit. "I will get it clean and repair it; we don't know when they will attack again so it is better not having a hole on it."

Benji nods in the ground of the hangar holding his backpack, the briefcase with the money that he made, a large sailor styled backpack with his dismantled armor and clothes and tied to it is the rifle case. "Lisa already made the software changes on it so it is fully ours." Benji said to the green haired woman. "Great. This will make things faster." Asa replied.

"Let me show you your room." Reni said to Benji. Benji nods and follows the shorter girl. "I don't know what impresses me the most, the knightmares or the fact that Reni knows him." Kanna commented in a casual tone. "I would say Reni-chan knowing Benji-dono." Sakura replied. With those words most of the hanagumi start to make theories over them.

Reni takes Benji to an empty room next to hers. "I think that you will find it suitable." Reni said opening the room. "It is quite good." Benji said with a smile while they enter on it.

Benji places his belongings over the bed and moves to open the window; the air in the room was stale and smelling a little like old showing that it wasn't opened in a long while. "I would never guess that you would be the leader of the resistance if Asa-san hasn't told me that you were an excellent sniper that could take down armored vehicles with easy using a rifle." Reni commented sitting on the bed. "How it happened?"

"I am not really sure." Benji answered sitting next to Reni. "I guess that it was like when you appeared to me, but instead of appearing here I appeared in that world." "What happened to you?" Reni asked looking at him. "You don't seem to have aged a day." "And you are turning into a beautiful young woman." Benji replied with a smile. "I noticed."

Reni blushes and looks down, no one in the hanagumi ever said a word about her development, she did tried to hide specially her breasts, they are growing and Reni think that they aren't needed and only bother on her training.

"You shouldn't try to hide that you are turning to a beautiful maiden." Benji said lightly ruffling her hair. "I don't want to be a beautiful maiden." Reni whispered leaning and resting her head on his lap. "I would be a better soldier if I was a boy." "I won't deny the benefits of being a male soldier, but you are a beautiful young maiden." Benji said gently caressing her hair. "You should feel pride in what you are and in what you will be."

Reni stays in silence but savors the caress. Outside the hanagumi and kazegumi try to peek but the open door makes hard to them to peek with out being caught. "Sing something." Reni whispered closing her eyes, she had longed for that for a long time. "What song?" Benji asked in a soft tone. "Anyone that you want." Reni replied. "Anything that you want."

"This is me for forever, one of the lost ones, the one without a name, without an honest heart as compass…" Benji sung quietly while caressing Reni's silver hair. "This is me for forever, one without a name these lines the last endeavor to find the missing lifeline. Oh how I wish for soothing rain. All I wish is to dream again, my loving heart; lost in the dark. For hope I'd give my everything. My flower, withered between the pages two and three, the once and forever bloom gone with my sins. Walk the dark path, sleep with angels. Call the past for help, touch me with your love and reveal to me my true name. Oh how I wish for soothing rain. All I wish is to dream again; my loving heart lost in the dark. For hope I'd give my everything. Oh how I wish for soothing rain; oh how I wish to dream again. Once and for all; and all for once. Nemo my name forevermore."

Benji pauses for breath before continuing. "Nemo sailing home, Nemo letting go. Oh how I wish for soothing rain. All I wish is to dream again; my loving heart lost in the dark. For hope I'd give my everything. Oh how I wish for soothing rain. Oh how I wish to dream again. Once and for all; and all for once. Nemo my name forevermore"

The hanagumi watch confused, no one other than Maria could understand what Benji sung. Reni was sleeping peacefully while they watched; Benji gently moves Reni careful to not wake her up and rests her head in a pillow. In silence Benji starts to unpack. Most of the hanagumi and kazegumi leave; Orihime and Iris stay and continue to spy on him.

After a while Asa walk pass the peeping duo and enters on the room. "I want to know what happened." Asa says to Benji that was storing his clothes. "What happened to our base?" "I had some secret defenses in case of invasion." Benji answered not stopping to put his clothes away. "It is similar to a nuke but it doesn't destroy anything electronics or structures, it is a radiation bomb. An area of two hundred kilometers around our base including the dam that we used to provide us with energy is now a nuclear deadland with so much radiation that the exposure even for few seconds is lethal."

"You killed the entire ecosystem around the base to protect our secrets?!" Asa exclaimed in horror. "That is horrible! Think of all the animals that will be killed!" "If I used a regular self-destruction system it would do the same." Benji said in an emotionless tone. "I minimized the damages to the environment by shutting the floodgates of the dam and activating the closure of the fountain, the dam will dry, and the river is already dried. Just the base and the surroundings are deadly. And I know that the Britannian will build walls around the radioactive area to prevent terrorists of trying to get radioactive material that could be used in altered chemical and biological warfare against them."

"It still doesn't make it less wrong." Asa said sitting down in the empty chair of the room. "I know." Benji replied. "But it was the only way to prevent the Britannians of entering in the base, even destroyed they could discover something to reverse engineer. No self destruction system is perfect. Now the base is lethal even with protection suits, knightmares and even unmanned machines."

"And we the only survivors are trapped here, I know that you never intended in returning when arriving here. We don't have silver threads or even a base that would send us supplies." Asa said seriously. "Stealing from the Britannian and updating the technology here is the only ways for us now to get equipment."

"I know." Benji replied. "How is everything?" "As I said before there were large advancements but out technology is still too advanced to be used well here, with out limiters my laptop average processing speed would fry the systems of the defense force." Asa answered seriously. "The Kanzaki industries plus all the industries related to the defense force are trying to create fully mechanical knightmares fully able to defeat regular knightmares. But with out the electronics and computers even the theoretical models fail in the simulations."

"It is like trying to build an F-22 with technology of the world war one." Benji muttered. "It can't be done." "F-22, world war one?" Asa asked confused. "Advanced jet and a war involving nearly every country in the globe, happened here." Benji answered. "Anyway Lisa is filled with information that we could try to use. And also I have some filled memory sticks that I brought; something on them might be useful."

"Anna will be very happy in having some company." Asa commented with a smile. "She is awfully sad since she is all alone here." Benji chuckled lightly. "I know how that is, Layla also complained about that." Benji said in a casual tone. "I don't know that one." Asa commented looking at him. "Lisa's mother." Benji explained. "The program that Lisa came from if you prefer." "I prefer like that." Asa replied.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Much later on that day Benji is with Asa on the hangar, Benji is inside the cockpit of the Sutherland that he is going to use. "No problems with any of the systems, the reprogramming was perfect." Asa said monitoring everything from her laptop, the programming that Lisa had made prevented access of any kind of Britannian device or personal to that unit as well altered the software limiters that limit the hardware of the knightmare making it thirty percent more agile, faster and stronger than a regular Sutherland.

"We don't have much ammo." Benji commented reading the display on the cockpit. "I have much more ammo than this knightmare." "You are a maniac that carries thousands of rounds." Asa commented teasingly. "But you are right, the knightmare fired at the hanagumi so they aren't with their supply filled, but we have enough to a couple of knightmare versus knightmare battles. And as I know how much you like melee weapons I asked for Yoneda-dono to make a sword for you when you arrived."

"What kind of sword?" Benji asked leaving the cockpit, he is wearing his armor. "European styled, a slim double edge one and a half hand sword." Asa answered. "It should be done by Saturday." "Today is Wednesday." Benji said looking at a watch on the back of his armor's hand. "We removed the metal in where would be the fuller; we styled the sword as Sakura-san's sword." Asa explained. "In that way it will be lighter." "Good." Benji replied. "What about firearms?" "In progress, it is hard to make the firearms because the connectors on the grip." Asa replied seriously while Benji jumps out from the cockpit. "We are trying to recreate the connectors so we can make weapons that will be compatible with the Sutherland's aiming system." "It isn't all that important." Benji said in a light serious tone. "I aim with the main sensors, just get me something that I can use against knightmares."

"We are working in a new 25mm rounds." Asa replied. "We are making progress on the production of the propellant of the round; we are making steel bullets with explosives inside, the standard armor piercing explosive. The gun will be styled after a FN-P90 because the compact design and the high capacity magazine. We are assuming that scaling up the design for the Sutherland the magazine will hold around sixty rounds."

"The P-90 is a good gun but it is a submachine gun, the rate of fire is too high." Benji commented seriously. "We need knightmares as intact as possible; one shot by knightmare must do the job." "We took the basic design from the P-90." Asa explained. "The magazine is loaded from bellow in a system like that crazy rifle of yours. The stock is actually very small it just there to give more stability, it holds on the forearm of the knightmare, it is more like a overgrow pistol than a submachine gun and you can adjust the mode of fire, the usual trio; single shot, burst of three rounds or the favorite of the crowds the full auto mode."

"Well if the specs are like that I think that I can use it." Benji replied nodding satisfied. "As long we can kill the pilot with out losing the knightmare and the cockpit I am fine with anything." "We are hoping that you could help us capture eight more knightmares in the first two months." Yoneda said walking closer of the duo. "With that number the hanagumi can aid you more in battle."

"Why not rounding up to twenty?" Benji asked teasingly. "Doing that we can have one knightmare to every member of the defense force, that including Paris and the New York kagekidans." "We hope that the other twelve would be captured in the two months following the capture of the first eight." Yoneda replied with a smile. "I am sure that you have thought in bringing the two other kagekidans here to Teito too."

"I have." Benji said nodding. "While I want to do so I can't ask them to leave their cities with out protection, there might be an invasion there." Yoneda replied seriously. "That won't happen." Benji said in a serious tone. "Why?" Yoneda asked surprised.

"The expend energy, time, money, risk and even the trouble of finding a new set of available coordinates to a dimensional jump are too large." Benji explained, Asa nods agreeing. "Even if they try the will just send their forces or even probes to a void, maybe inside the ground or in the space. It is very complex to explain, I am not a scientist, and I am a soldier so I am not able to explain the details, but once you fixed a set of coordinates you can't change it. As coordinates I mean the very large area around a certain spot."

"How large?" Yoneda asked confused. "Around sixty kilometers." Benji answered. "That goes in every direction, sides, diagonal, up and down. Changing the coordinates even based on coordinates of their own world it will result in tragedy for them. First the machine has to be rebuild, the tracking device that allows the connection between the dimensions need to be replaced, then they have to send probes and hope that they find something, if they don't the machine overloads and might explode, usually the machine breaks."

"I don't really understand, it isn't just possible to build a better machine?" Yoneda asked to him. "Dimensional traveling was impossible until few months ago, the machines that we used are the very first two prototypes, but it is already a decided factor that the machines can't change coordinates. I don't know how to explain it just can't." Benji answered. "Think that you have bolted a telescope on a large boulder because you want to see Venus, you can't rotate the telescope or move it up, down or to the sides, all that you can do is move the lens a little and try to focus on that direction to see better. It is more or less like that, we don't really control the coordinates, they are fixed all that we do is try to control where we land inside the large globe of the coordinates; but it still can go wrong."

"I am with a migraine." Yoneda said pinching the bridge of his nose. "I can't understand anything of your explanation; the bottom line is that they will only attack Teito?" "Exactly." Benji answered. "I am not sure why this place was selected by the Britannian or even why we can't lock out from this coordinates, we tried but it won't change. What I know is that the Britannian will invade and take every resource here."

"Then I will order Ogami to go to Paris and New York to bring the two kagekidans here." Yoneda says in a serious and formal tone. "I don't doubt of your skill or of the skills of my subordinates but we will need all the help that we can get to defeat an army from another world where they can just send more troops against us." Benji nod understanding and Yoneda leaves.

"You really think that is the best course of action?" Asa asked to Benji. "We will need everyone here." Benji answered. "I am not sure if sakuradite exists here but the empire will attack in hope that there is and we will need all the help that we can gather to defend this world." Asa nods and moves to her computer. "I will finish up here, you go rest, I am sure that you are still suffering from the transportation sickness." "I am." Benji replied. "But I am already used; it isn't my first time feeling it." Benji leaves the hangar moving to the theater.


	5. Adaptability

Hi this is Benji Himura

Hi this is Benji Himura. I am now starting a new fanfic; it is a Sakura Taisen and Code Geass story. I don't own Sakura or any of the characters. I own Benji Himura and others original characters that will show up in the story. It might be violence and sex in the story so if you are underage of seventeen are warned the content might be too improper to your age. Read by your own will and risk. In anyway enjoy the story.

Signed: Benji Himura

I want to thank Andou Masaki for the idea of this story, the personal review of the rough sketch of the prologue and the idea for the title of this story.

"Text" Talked sentences.

'Text' Thoughts.

-Text- Sounds effects.

(Text) Talked sentences in a foreign language, as English when everyone else speaks Japanese.

: Text: Messages show in an electronic screen or written.

**Text**: something being recalled, flashbacks, scenes being replayed.

_Text_: a detail found in a location, scene, person, recording and images that originally wasn't there.

Code Geass: The Blooming Cherry Blossom Enigma

Chapter four: Adaptability

Three days had passed since Benji joined the hanagumi, there wasn't much time for the Brazilian to get acquainted with the other members of the unit since he and Asa are working non-stop to prepare the cockpit equipped Sutherland to fight with the resistance OS as well many new weapons made for koubus.

The kazegumi stares in awe seeing Benji and Asa typing on their respective laptops in a very fast speed, connected to each laptop is a cable connected to a base for the PDA like computer housing the duos' AIs; and in the screen of the two devices the image of Lisa and Anna are also typing on their own computers in the screens.

"What they are doing?" Kohran asked to the trio. "According to them writing a new operational system to the Sutherland based on a software that they created on their headquarters." Kasumi answered. "I have to admit that we can't even type that fast."

"We are adapting that software to work on a Sutherland that is knightmare of a lower generation." Asa explained not taking her eyes from the screen. "Benji is just writing down the specs that he wants, Lisa is translating the normal language to computer language and Anna and I are adapting the program with that new information and the limitations of the Sutherland. Benji can type really fast but he isn't a computer programmer or expert, he can't create programs or other things like that."

"Those skills went to my brother." Benji commented still typing. "But I am a good writer and with the proper program it can be converted to a good software after being cleaned." "The program that he mentioned is the computer that Lisa is using; the typing is just an interactive display to illustrate the process." Asa explained casually. "I still don't know why he likes of those kind of interactivity, but all the AIs based on his Layla are like that."

"His Layla?" Kohran repeated confused. "All the AIs of the resistance were based after an AI that Benji owned; we can say that she is the ancestor of my Anna." Asa explained. "Anna is based on Layla and is from a newer generation, Lisa was created by Layla, Benji usually calls Lisa of Layla's daughter. Since they aren't really related by being generated by the same program you can say that Anna and Lisa are second degree cousins, but they never shared the same ancestor Anna's program was based on Layla's but isn't the same, they share key directives, programs and other parts but everything else is different."

"I don't really understand." Kohran said confused, the advanced computer was still very confusing to Kohran that was witnessing the very dawn of the steam computers. "Think on this." Benji said in a casual tone. "They copied Layla's skeleton, around fifty percent of her internal organs and base appearance using a special machine; think on it as a camera. They took that information and added their own parts to replace the ones that they couldn't copy, so Anna shares enough similarities to be able to interface with Layla based AIs but isn't the same as them."

"Still confusing but I think that I understand now." Kohran commented with a smile. "I am amazed with your skill in breaking explanations and turning them in something odd but that oddly explains what we are trying to say." Asa said to Benji. "Practice, not everyone is a scientist, technician or programmer." Benji commented casually.

"And not everyone is a highly trained mercenary as you are." Asa replied. "You should have invested a little more in computer classes." "With a war in my past as if I had time for that." Benji spat, he hated when Asa called him that. "I hardly had time to sleep much less learn more about computers than I already know."

"Master there is a mistype in the sentence." Lisa said interrupting an incoming argument. "Please correct." Benji does so knowing very well that Lisa could have done it herself since she located the mistake and she only didn't to prevent him and Asa of saying something bad.

"What that new program will do?" Koran asked curious, the koubu didn't had softwares or computers, it was much more simpler relying on screens, cameras, switches and buttons to activate the needed functions, the controls are mostly mechanical; the knightmares are highly advanced and dependant of computers to operate.

"This new software will compensate the new fighting style that will be used." Asa explained. "Normally a knightmare sees very little short range combat with melee weapons, very few units are adapted to short range combats. Mostly knightmares use firearms that need much less strength to be used, but using melee weapons requires adaptations on the frame and software. This new software will allow all range combat, short to mid range and mid to long range; sadly the Sutherland can't be upgraded to extreme ranges. The parts that we have here as well the available systems can't be used on extreme ranges; they can't take the stress of extreme range weaponry."

"What kind of stress you are talking about?" Kohran asked curious. "Adapted artillery weaponry, custom made ammunition with high penetration armor piercing, explosive and incendiary capabilities, powerful sensors to aim and calculate every needed bit of information for the shot." Asa answered seriously. "Archer our extreme range knightmare can fire with deadly accuracy a target seventeen kilometers away, that firing in a straight angle, firing in a arch as the artillery does the range can increase to a little under one hundred kilometers, it is very dependant of the accuracy of the coordinates or of the sensors to calculate the shot."

Kohran jaw is open wide with shock with a range like that it could take down an enemy much, much before the enemy can even fire at them. "If the Sutherland was able to endure extreme range weaponry we would place one that it could effectively be used, I think that the effective range would be on the top three kilometers." Asa added. "However the round used is very important, using a 25mm round would give a respectable range with a good piercing power, but there are more powerful rounds available to knightmares. Normally the army uses a 20mm round since it can take down some armored vehicles, planes and in some extent knightmares."

"Those seem to be very powerful." Kohran commented recalling the damage in the cockpits, they are heavily armored and Benji's rounds pierced it as it was just paper. "They are very powerful, actually the most powerful rounds for automatic weapons and machine guns." Asa said. "We use a wildcat 25mm that is as powerful as a 30mm round."

"We focus in giving damage in an accurate way." Benji explained. "We want to decide when destroy a knightmare, tank or vehicle and when save them. If we want to save we kill the pilots giving the least damage possible to the vehicle, if we want to destroy well them we use explosive rounds and after we are done there will be only junk left."

Asa nods agreeing, Kohran is rather impressed the hanagumi is a strictly defensive force and they use rather powerful ammunitions but the Brazilian resistance and the Britannian army use even more powerful ammo. "It is different because our targets are different." Benji said knowing what Kohran is thinking. "You guys kill demons and other reasonably soft targets, armored ones aren't all that strong or armored. Knightmares and armoring from our world is way stronger so we need more powerful ammo to damage it."

Kohran nods understanding, Maria's koubu was the one that suffered more changes because need of different calibers ammo for her koubu, initially was .303british, then the .50 BMG and to her sniper retractable rifle used a powered up version of the .50 BMG ammo that is similar to the .50 BMG that Benji and Asa know.

The kazegumi is rather confused with the conversation and remain quiet, they are more interested in the advanced computers in front of them, Benji's laptop is actually very different from Asa's; Asa own a normal laptop while Benji had a rather odd looking one with a keyboard similar to a keyboard of a personal computer, the keyboard have two moving and foldable extensions that cover the screens making it closed similar to a regular laptop when opened and folded it is the sound boxes, holds extra internal hard drives, extra USB and other ports and a optic mouse.

"Done." Benji said stretching on the chair. "You are done." Asa muttered. "I am nowhere done, I have to process the data and create a program." "That is why I am not a tech." Benji commented turning off the computer and folding it closed. "Work hard you two." Lisa added while Benji picks her up, she was also done with her share of the work; as Benji Lisa is battle aligned, she can perform in more technical works but her strong features and familiarity is combat and tactical programs, after all she is a battle AI as her mother.

Kohran stays with Asa while the kazegumi leave the room with Benji, they have work to do. Benji moves to the library deciding to read something and allow Lisa to do a routine clean up on her files. In the library Benji finds Reni and Maria reading, he greets the duo and sits few chairs away from them, he places Lisa on her base and turns on the computer.

"What you will do?" Reni asked seeing the computer booting. "Read." Benji answered with a smile. "Lisa will organize her files." "There is too much data scrambled since my last organizing." Lisa commented while arranging many files in a large office with many shelves with books, CDs and a large desk.

"Why she is doing that?" Maria asked in a confused tone while looking at the screen. "The files are stored like that?" "It is just for interaction." Benji answered. "It shows what she is doing and what task she is performing, while what she is doing isn't much different than us organizing books she does the same with the information inside her drives. It is cuter this way."

"I won't deny that it is interesting." Maria commented seeing Lisa scanning few pages in a file and moving to put it away in a certain shelf. "Why it is like that?" "Because Lisa was also developed to be a companion and friend and not only a computer program." Reni said with a small smile. "You still remember." Benji commented with a smile.

"I missed the point or is a private joke?" Maria asked to them. "I will elaborate." Benji said and Maria nodded. "Layla the program that created Lisa was created to make me company when I was sniping behind the enemy's lines, being a sniper means being alone; scouting, killing sentinels, officers and other parts of our mission that required moving alone, Layla was created to be a company that wouldn't cause trouble, slow me down, leave tracks or speak too loud attracting enemies' attention. Because of that she is highly interactive."

"It makes sense." Maria said understanding, while she wasn't a sniper she can understand the reasons, loneliness can be a dangerous enemy, it could lead to mistakes in long periods not to mention mental issues because of the isolation. "That is why she has a human appearance, it makes easier to accept her as a company." "Exactly." Benji replied with a smile, he wasn't surprised with Maria understanding so quickly his reasons.

"Your world's technology is amazing." Maria praised seeing the computer and the PDA. "One day this world's technology will be like this too." Benji said with a bitter smile. "Hopefully this world will use it better than mine. Layla was developed in war for war purposes while not only focused on that since Layla is a personal customization. My hope is that in this world what we brought will be used in better purposes."

"We can only hope and wait for the best." Maria said understanding. "What you will read?" Reni asked changing the subject. "Not really sure, I will go around my files until I see something that I feel like reading, if I can't find anything maybe I will play something." Benji answered. "Play?" Maria asked confused. "This computer holds many games." Benji explained deciding to demonstrate it for Maria it would be a good experience for the Russian markswoman. "It isn't only used with military purposes."

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Few hours passed and the hanagumi, kazegumi and the two member of the resistance are having dinner. Maria was commenting about the many games in Benji's computer and the room was filled with a light chatter.

While still unused to the tall man everyone was slowly getting used to his presence even thought he isn't expending much time with them, Benji was busy overseeing the changes and other projects related to the knightmares and expended most of his time with Asa, Kaede and in a lesser way with the kazegumi, issuing them with orders of parts or transporting something to the Kanzaki heavy industries.

Asa reports to Benji her progress in adapting the OS, it wasn't finished but it advanced considerably. "We will start the changes in the frame as soon we are done with the OS." Asa said in a serious tone. "It will be a long and extensive process to adapt everything; if everything moves smoothly the Sutherland 2.0 will be available in two weeks from the start of the upgrade."

"It is acceptable since the other unit can be used while the other is being upgraded." Benji replied seriously. "How is the reverse-engineering of the cockpit is moving?" "Slowly, the system is far too advanced for the technicians here handle everything, however I have reports that they are managing to copy the most basic systems." Asa answered. "I have taken pictures of everything and gave to them so they can put it back together, in at least one week it should be back and working."

"Why rushing to rebuild the other cockpit?" Sumire asked curious, the cockpit was being studded by her family company and held many advancements. "Because I am planning on having Maria to pilot the other Sutherland." Benji answered in a serious tone. "I think that with the proper training she will adapt very well to a knightmare, she is a skilled markswoman and the knightmare is essentially a firing unit."

"Why Maria and not me?" Orihime asked jealous. "As I said Maria is a skilled markswoman and a good pilot, she is also calm and a trained soldier so I believe that she will be able to adapt herself to piloting a knightmare much faster than everyone else." Benji explained in a serious tone. "A knightmare is much more complex than a koubu that only counting the piloting systems, there are also the height, weight, balance and speed differences to count, I believe that Maria is the one with the best reflexes to pilot a Sutherland in such short notice."

Maria stays in silence, actually embarrassed with Benji's words. "Everyone else will train in simulators that we are creating; they will be ready in two months so you will have time to get used to piloting a knightmare." Asa said in a light tone. "Unlike Maria that is being tossed in the fray you all will have a better base to pilot."

Asa's words sooths the other members of the hanagumi, it they would have a change to learn before actually piloting it would be much better. Asa altered the truth a bit; the simulators would start being developed two months after the second cockpit is operational, that if they manage to recreate every piece of technology of a knightmare cockpit, if they couldn't it would take even longer to be produced.

"Thanks for the meal." Benji said standing up. "I have few more things that I want to do before sleeping." Asa nod and watches him moving to the kitchen to wash his used dishes.

"You two don't stop working?" Sakura asked in a worried tone. "Sakura-san you have to understand our current situation." Asa answered in a serious tone. "Our original schedule wasn't followed, we were forced to launch when the preparations weren't ready, we lost our companions, our supplies, our supply route and our equipment; we don't have the luxury of not working. The Britannian army won't stop just because they lost few soldiers and two knightmares, they have plenty of those to spare and we just have two knightmares, one working cockpit and one knightmare pilot."

Sakura pales now understanding why Benji and Asa don't really stop working. "I lost my appetite." Sakura said standing up and rushing to the kitchen in a mix of embarrassment and fear. "It is really that bad?" Reni asked seriously. "Yes." Asa replied. "Even thought out two knightmares are on this world we can't recover them, they are as good as none."

Benji leaves the kitchen and walks to the door, Sakura runs out of the kitchen and trips on her hakama and falls; however Sakura instinctively grabbed to prevent her fall, instead of just grabbing air Sakura grabbed the back of Benji's shirt, with the motion and Sakura's weight the fabric rips cleanly.

Everyone on the dinning hall stares at Benji's naked upper body, on the base of his neck there is a metal plate imbedded on the flesh surrounded by small scars. "What is that?!" Sumire asked in horror, never she saw something like that and with her words everyone other than Asa burst in questions, in Sakura's case apologies.

"Silence!" Benji barked in a loud and commanding voice, he is obeyed in the same second. Benji picks the remains of his shirt and moves to the leave the room. "What is that thing?" Orihime asked meekly, even scared she is more curious than afraid. "Scars from my past." Benji said in an icy tone glancing at her direction before leaving the room.

Orihime froze in fear at his cold eyes. The others also saw it and were very affected from it too; even Maria was affected by what she saw on his eyes. Reni recovers and moves out of the room chasing Benji.

"I did something stupid, right?" Sakura asked to Asa in a sorrowful tone. "No Sakura you didn't do anything bad." Asa gently comforted the brunette. "Benji knows that, he is like that because he really doesn't like to show that to anyone. It is a mark of something horrible on his life." Everyone stays in silence and wonder what would be the cause of something like that.

Reni lightly knocks on the door of Benji's room, she waits for a reply that doesn't come; worried Reni peeks inside the room. The room is lithe only by the moonlight filtering from the window, everything is very still and nothing is moving at all.

Reni opens more the door and enters on the room; it takes a short while for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. A soft melody makes Reni turn to the left, she sees Benji sited in the large sofa that he purchased few days earlier, he is lightly leaning forward with his arms resting on his knees, his head a little low and with a shirt draped over his shoulders, Reni notices the headphones and understood why he haven't answered when she knocked.

"Benji you are okay?" Reni asked in a worried tone while moving to him. "I am not hurt if it is that what you are asking." Benji answered leaning back on the sofa. "It is a rather old thing, around four years old."

"How you lost the other scars?" Reni asked sitting near Benji. "In the time that I gained the metal on my neck." Benji answered in a serious tone. "I don't really like to talk about it." Reni nods understanding and stays near him; she can hear the soft melody from the headphone and knows that nearby is either Lisa or another device playing it.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Cornelia Li Britannia was proud of never being afraid in any situation even in the most heated and dangerous battles, however she was inwardly afraid of her younger sister Dia Mon Britannia; the farewell ball of her departure to her most recent battle was as boring and annoying as usual until the arrival of Dia.

The raven haired princess walked on the ballroom clad in a very tight, provocative and sexy red nightdress that did very, very little to cover her body; actually the design and style lines enhance Dia's body curves, a generous neckline reveal her shoulders, part of her bust and as if lowers and get thinner her stomach and navel, on her back a very generous V cut on the back showing her back, the skirt have a long slit on the side of her left leg enhancing the effect of the entire dress, finishing matching shoes and long red gloves of the same fabric of the dress. Dia is wearing very little jewelry, a pair of ruby earrings, a marching necklace and a bracelet.

Her hair is styled in a very simple style, tied on a loose ponytail and casketing on her back, unlike the other females on the ball Dia is wearing very little make up; but the effect was far more superior Dia stole the attention of everything as soon she arrived, her rather simple dress contrasting with the fancy and multi-layered dresses of the nobles.

'Very Dia-like.' Cornelia thinks seeing her sister walking on her high heels with ease and a style that lacked on all the courtesans there; Dia squandered feminineness and sexiness without being vulgar, slutty or inappropriate. 'She is so different from when she was a child that is actually scary to see.'

Cornelia smiles amused seeing how embarrassed Euphemia is with Dia's dress and how Dia is acting, Dia is acting as perfect lady and with a sheer sexiness that dazed every male on the ball, and when Dia accepted a glass of champagne from a waiter the males seemed to hold their breaths in unison as she sipped on the drink.

Dia walks to Cornelia and Euphemia. "So how I am behaving?" Dia asked in a low and teasing tone. "I could say but Euphie would faint with my words." Cornelia teased back. "But I won't deny that you are behaving properly, even thought you dress isn't exactly what I could call proper."

"And so spoke the woman that is wearing men's clothing." Dia replied teasingly. "At least I am proud of my femininity and I am not ashamed of flaunting it a bit." "You are flaunting it a tad too much." Cornelia said while Dia sips on her champagne. "Every male is boring holes on you since you walked."

"I know." Dia replied with a smile. "Being gorgeous is like that, you get so much attention." "I think that the Emperor won't like finding that you are dressing like this." Euphemia commented seriously. "He supports fighting." Dia replied in a light tone. "I am fighting with my weapons here, it is easy to control males when you know how to do it and what to use."

"It seems that your time away from the court only did you well Dia." Schniezel El Britannia said when he approached the trio. "So it was truth that a wild flower like you needed to be free to bloom beautifully."

"Of course it is." Dia replied in a polite tone. "It has been a long time brother." "Indeed, I won't hide my surprise in seeing the wild Dia behaving so well." Schniezel said with a smile. "You stole the spotlights from Cornelia tonight; everyone is speaking about the Diamond of Britannia."

Dia chuckled lightly. "I am sure that sister is actually happy with this." Dia said with her melodic voice lightly sweeter with the laughter. "You are right." Cornelia confirmed nodding lightly, she is very impressing with Dia's actions; if she wasn't a woman Cornelia knew for sure that she would have fallen in love right now and right there just by hearing Dia's laughter and her voice right after her laughter.

Cornelia understood what Dia said by using her own weapons, Dia could very easily subdue men by seducing them and making them do anything that they want. It was a fearsome capability and skill that Dia mastered, knowing the schemes of the nobility and the court and how to manipulate people with out resorting to force.

Opposing to Cornelia strength in battle Dia mastered the art of poisons on silver cups and hidden daggers. As a seasoned soldier Cornelia could sense the inherent danger of Dia's poisonous and demonic beauty.

Cornelia could foresee the schemes, intrigues and plots that Dia would create; the court is a vicious veiled battleground, Cornelia is inwardly happy that she isn't a constant part of it. Euphemia is rather clueless about the discoveries of her eldest sister, she is actually very happy that Dia is behaving so well in the party.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Aoi Rose looks down at the 'cage' three years had passed since she had joined the Vasconcelos and Callahan Enterprises as Biomechanical, Biorobotic Engineer and Bioengineer; at the cage is the main source of her anguish and suffering. When she first voiced her dream of creating artificial tissue to be used to repair lost human tissue everything that she wished was to extinguish the suffering of the human kind.

She was horrified when she discovered the reality of the company that gave her the scholarship and founded studies and projects; Aoi wasn't able to refuse or even protest at their horrifying demands and projects, she had seem what happened to those that attempted to escape; they disappeared without a trace to never been seen again, their belongings other than the ones related to the projects were destroyed or sold. The punishment for escaping and treason was death.

Her horror only grew as she saw her seniors not even caring about the horrors that they committed or what happened to the subjects or samples as they usually called, they kept saying that was for the good of mankind and for the advancement of the science. Aoi knew that those words were lies; everything that they desired was knowledge, fame and fortune.

Aoi couldn't endure any longer, she knew that the project Brazen Head started several years before her arrival, she had indirectly aided that project on her study years using information from the company as we her own thesis and projects to correct mistakes and leading to the completion of the project.

The project victimized uncountable people until the scientists perfected the process and accidentally struck gold with their latest test subject; after that event Aoi were officially hired after all the other propositions from other companies, laboratories and even colleges suddenly were withdraw.

Initially Aoi wasn't exposed to the truth behind her projects, she was the assistant of a high ranked scientist and led and developed the first steps of several projects that would later be finished by other branches; at that time Aoi grew curious and angry at the fact that she wasn't allowed to finish any of her assignments, she reached a certain level on the assignment and her supervisor would praise her and reassign her to another project; looking back Aoi regretted her decision of discovering why she never participated of the phases above the level three development.

Project Infinity and Project Infusion, the two simultaneous projects that were the last straws on Aoi's curiosity and anger, when those two projects were reassigned Aoi was unable to stay silent, not only voicing her frustration Aoi followed her supervisor and was exposed to the horrors that she aided to commit.

Now in front of Aoi firmly restrained and locked inside the 'cage' is the 'mine', not only the unwilling source of several projects but victim of many more of them. A humanoid metallic figure for is fully covered by bright gray, red and yellow metal plating, it is heavily bolted on the reinforced walls by a pair strong metal retrains passing over the shoulders and under the armpits with another pair of restrains are holding the forearms on the wall, this retrains fully cover the forearms with ten bolts on each side of the restrain.

Uncountable cables and wires are connected to the figure's head; a thin red glasslike slit visor is the only nonmetallic part of the figure. In the glass in front of her Aoi can see all the readings of the figure displayed around it, she isn't interested on any of them; there wasn't any changes on them since the end of the Project Amalgam.

Aoi smiles bitterly, the Project Amalgam was the only project that she personally led conducted on her years in the company, no one in the council of scientists or the board disagreed or reprimanded the project, Aoi were careful in saying that was to better preserve the 'mine'; however Aoi had other plans, her own inner schedule.

Unlike all the others initiate staff Aoi had free access to the 'mine', actually part of her job was to sort the data in the 'mine' and only report the information that could be used in future or present projects; Aoi had expend uncountable hours reading the old data stored in the computers as well the information in the 'mine'.

No one else really cared for anything that couldn't be used to bring profit and ignored most of the information. For Aoi the 'junk' information as hers superiors classified mostly everything extracted was her lifeline and salvation, she learned much from that discarded information and created the Project Amalgam after learning more about the 'mine'.

Aoi rest her hand on her now large belly and looks at the mine. "It is almost time." She says in Portuguese, not Portugal's Portuguese nor English that is Brazil's official language since the change to Britannian administration, but in Brazilian's Portuguese an inexistent language on her world. "Just a little longer and everything will be perfect. In two days the entire council and board members will be here to witness the results of the Project Amalgam. They will be on this room and then our own project will start."

Inside the 'cage' the figure's head that was pending forward slowly rises leveling the thin visor to Aoi's eyes height. "Project's Fiery Seed first phase is finished and the sequel is ongoing." Aoi added in a serious tone. "Project Reunion is complete; all that is left is waiting for the right moment, so please endure a little longer."

Aoi knows that the room is monitored and bypassed that by the use of a special device that nullified her voice to any kind of recording and blurred her image to any recordings, but she knows that she was understood; as silent as ever the figure lowers his head.

A silent vibration on the small device disguised as a bracelet warn her of the approach of a undesired visitor, Aoi takes a deep breath and puts on her mask of uncaring scientist. With a quiet hiss the two heavy doors of the control room slide open and the over forty years old head of the council enters on the room.

"Hardworking as ever Rose." He said in a lecherous content tone that made Aoi's skin crawl in disgust, Aoi could almost smell the reek of his lust for power and fortune, it was fetid stench of something greasy and rotten, she could sense also the lust that he has for her own mind and body, it reeked just like the lust for power and fortune.

"We will miss you when you leave for your maternity leave." He added in a polite tone, his lips are lightly frowned showing the huge displeasure at Aoi's condition and the fact that she isn't his; under the mask of politeness there was an evil that threatened to spill forth, it almost make Aoi sick of her stomach. "Not only because your hard work."

Aoi was feeling herself nearing her limits, she couldn't stand that man, he was the one that not only approved all the projects but also observed, studied and participated in every one of them he was also the one that idealized the Project Brazen Head; for Aoi he was the greatest evil of that company.

"It seems that was the only way that I would be able to get a vacation." Aoi said in an emotionless tone, it was a lie she had other reasons for he pregnancy, reasons that she never would tell to anyone of the company specially that man. "You could have asked me nicely." He said approaching Aoi. "I would have given you a paid vacation."

"I am not interested in your demands for them." Aoi said walking to the door avoiding him. "You should be more careful" he warned in a dangerous tone. "You aren't irreplaceable." "Actually I am." Aoi replied in a cold tone. "Ninety percent of the present projects only got this far because of me and I took precautions that you wouldn't be able to strap me on the Brazen Head."

Doctor Victor Callahan clicks his tongue in anger, he knows that she is right; Aoi was the starting point of every biological project of the company and is the head of the Biocybernetics sector. "Now I have few reports to finish before my leave." Aoi said leaving the room.

Aoi quickly leaves not hearing any reply from the other scientist; she let out a faint sigh of relief not hearing him following her. 'I have to be more careful not just with my plans but with my health.' Aoi thinks slowing down and caressing her navel. 'My children are very precious, I can't lose them.'

Aoi walks to her office and sits behind her desk; she tiredly leans back on her chair and exhales tiredly. Keeping her disguise was much more tiresome than she had ever thought, the stress of having to ignore all the horrors that she watched, all the pain and suffering that they caused, and even keeping herself calm when plotting the death of nearly everyone in the facility.

In her years working in the advanced research sector Aoi never met a sympathetic soul in the sector; even the nurses, guards, cleaners and other not so important staff were cruel, cold, prejudicing, uncaring and sadistic. Aoi couldn't stand being close of the isolation rooms where the guards locked the children that they kidnapped from the streets, however she often heard the conversation of the guards in charge of the flux of test subjects to the labs; they treated those girls as pieces of meat and not humans.

Aoi felt guilty but she was content that soon everyone would die at the hands of their oldest victim. She worked very hard to arrange everything for that event, she would give him the signal and then it would start, Aoi hoped that he would help her redeem herself, not only by avenging all the suffering that the council and the board caused but by gathering all the living victims scattered around the globe.

Looking around Aoi remembers of the time that she cheerfully would work long hours trying to find the best way to solve the issues in the projects that she was given, her innocence is long gone so is her dreams and past illusions, her rather outdated personal laptop is still there contrasting with the cutting edge new equipment in her office.

Her personal laptop served only for her to write her personal diary, store personal files and archives, and store her old programs from her time as student; sometimes her programs would be useful and she would upload them to her workstation. The grim silence annoys the scientist; she could barely hear the sound of herself typing on her laptop writing her research notes and personal diary with the cheerfulness of the innocence and blissful ignorance of the truth.

Now so scared of the company she doesn't write anything there while working, she knows that the company bugs every room and workstation, Aoi worked very hard to make at least her old laptop a impossible to place for being bugged; using cute and self made stickers in the sides to seal the machine making a hard task to open the machine, if the small seals were broken Aoi would know that someone opened her computer, she also closed the screw holes with a hard epoxy mass.

Aoi knew that a healthy dose of paranoia was the only thing that would keep her alive, with the aid of a college friend that she trusted because her own habits and being a feverous conspiracist as well an expert in electronics Aoi gained her voice nullifying and image blurring device disguised as necklace, the proximity bracelet and a scan disguised as a makeup kit for detect hidden electronic and locate devices as cameras, microphones and other surveillances devices. After locating Aoi would fake an accident that would destroy the device, she lost the count of how much coffee she spilled on her desk and how many fake stumbles she had to destroy them without raising suspicions.

The main clock tolls the end of the expedient, Aoi gather her belongings including her computer, and she stores it inside her carrier case and leaves the office, locking it behind her. All that she waited was the end of that day, it was Saturday and she wouldn't work on the Sunday, she would be able to rest and prepare herself for the sequel of the Project Amalgam to start.

Aoi leaves the large compound on the outskirts of São Paulo; she drives in silence to her condo. Aoi is aware that her company car is bugged and never used for anything other than commuting, she wants to return to her condo and relax on her house; her pregnancy was a source of joy and as well tiredness, she would pamper herself a bit, exercise a little and have a good dinner.

Since her decision to have children Aoi forced herself to drop many bad habits that she acquired in her stressful school years, she stopped drinking beer and wine after work, stopped drinking coffee at least until she is pregnant and lactating, stopped eating takeout and junk food, started a regular routine of exercises for pregnant women adding to fix her random days in the gym.

Aoi arrived on her house and parks the car inside the garage, as usual the large house is empty; one of he greatest grieves of Aoi was that she couldn't find a suitable boyfriend because when a student she was too busy studying, when she began working she was too busy working and when she discovered the truth of her company Aoi felt not only unworthy but suspicious of men on her circle and the ones that tried to date her; for her they could be trying to extract information from her and cause her death.

As part of her usual routine Aoi checks the alarm system and the secret sensors on her house that would indicate any kind of entrance when she wasn't there; not finding anything out of ordinary Aoi moves to the her bedroom, she moves to the bathroom and runs the water for her long bath.

Being half Japanese Aoi adored the long soaks in the warm water and being half Britannian she added bath salts and oils on the water, it was her personal cleansing and relaxing ritual, whenever she had a bad or tiresome day she would indulge herself that pleasure, with the discover of the horrors of the company Aoi rarely allowed herself that pleasure, if so many suffered because of her why she should feel pleasure when being part of the cause of others' suffering.

After programming the desired water level and temperature Aoi changes her clothes to her workout outfit and moves to the living room so she can run on her routine of exercises. Even exercising Aoi can't take her mind from the horrors from the company, as she stretches and moves she recalls the full immobility of the 'mine' and most of the victims. Aoi tries hard to not think about it, but without the pills it very hard for her to not feel guilty, with the pregnancy the prescribed drugs that another college friend now a psychiatric prescribed were banished from her life.

Aoi feels a kick inside her womb and smiled, the joy of the lives growing inside her help to banish the horrors from her mind. "Thank you." Aoi whispered caressing her belly. "Now let's relax in the tub and forget everything for a while, tomorrow we worry about the final preparations."

Nearly one hour later Aoi is drying her short bluish black hair while clad in a bathrobe. The doorbell rings and Aoi moves to answer the door, she was after all expecting the visit of Monique. Aoi smiled seeing her friend at the door. "Takeout." The other woman said with a grin. "Well it seems that I can't take you out like this, it wouldn't be proper."

"Come in." Aoi said chuckling. "You know your way to the kitchen." "Of course I know." Monique replied casually. "I am cooking you dinner since we were in the high school. Someone have to make sure that those babies are healthy." Monique leans forward lightly patting Aoi's large belly. "How are you doing?"

"They are very well." Aoi answered closing the door after her friend entered. "We just took a long bath." "I can smell that." Monique replied lightly sniffing the flowerily scent emanating from Aoi's body. "I just love this scent."

"Perv." Aoi teased. "Anyway it has been a while since you had a long soak." Monique commented. "I told you before that lately I don't feel much worth of the pleasure." Aoi replied seriously. "You should indulge yourself more because of them." Monique said gently caressing Aoi's belly. "They will be happy when you are happy."

"It is so hard to be happy lately." Aoi said sitting in a chair in the kitchen while Monique places the shopping bags on the counter. "I can imagine." Monique replied emptying the bags. Monique was Aoi's oldest friend and the only one that Aoi shared the horrors that she witnessed. Monique understood Aoi's position, her father was a former GIGN member and dealt with intelligence and information, many of Monique's and her siblings bedtime stories were tales of missions; it wasn't unusual to discover that what appeared to be just a simple crime was actually something much bigger.

Monique's father were forced to retire because he investigated too much in a death of a business man in a skyjacking, one of his theories was that the entire skyjacking of a commercial plane was just a cover for the assassination ordered by rivals. When she first heard everything from Aoi Monique felt very tempted to tell everything to her father, but Aoi strongly protested saying that the exposure would doom everyone including her family and the victims.

After calming Monique also decided that the best was to lay low, her father was a successful teacher of journalism on the Imperial College of São Paulo and no longer an elite soldier. Her father was very happy when Monique said that she wished to be a medic and happily paid the entire tuition for her medical school.

However Monique couldn't just accept quietly that humans were mutilated, killed and experimented, with Aoi collecting information and Jessica providing them with the electronic equipment to counter the surveillance of the Vasconcelos and Callahan Enterprises they attempted to gather evidence to bring down the company.

Monique was shocked when Aoi told her about her own plans, Aoi wouldn't expose the company, it wouldn't work because all big companies did similar if not worse things, even the government wouldn't help; Aoi's plan was to kill the head of the company, all the scientists, guards and board members that approved that.

To do that Aoi would us the same projects that they created, knowing the value of the man that they called mine had Aoi manipulated them to give to the mine a strong, fast and nearly immortal body using the most advanced projects. The reason is that the mine was a trained soldier before being victimized and he would kill those behind all the suffering if given a chance.

Monique though that the plan was insane and would never work, she voiced her opinion and protests, it was risky and the mine could easily kill Aoi along the guilty ones. Aoi was sure that it was the only way to end the pain, seeing the determination of her friend Monique agreed in assist in whatever she could do, she never expected that Aoi would ask to Monique to artificially inseminate her.

She couldn't understand why her friend wanted have children so badly in such critical timing, Monique could understand the desire for a legacy and children but the timing was too wrong in her opinion, however she did as Aoi asked, the result Aoi is carrying quadruplets.

"What is tonight's dinner?" Aoi asked curiously, breaking Monique's thoughts. "That is a secret." Monique answered in a teasingly tone. "But you will like it, you always do." "That isn't fair!" Aoi exclaimed annoyed. "Just relax and let me cook." Monique said lightly placing a stick of carrot on Aoi's mouth. "Munch that and wait."

"Haaaiiii!' Aoi exclaimed in a childish tone. Monique chuckled lightly; her friend never spoke Japanese unless when she wanted to act cute, she decides to not worry about the worse and hope for the best, Aoi interacted with the mine even thought never shared his name with her, so Aoi must be right when she said that he wouldn't hurt her.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Benji looks out of his bedroom window, the theater is filled with silence and wrapped in darkness, no one else was awake other than him; because the very late hour even the city streets are deserted. Benji sighs and closes the curtains, over the desk Lisa is on her sleep mode, smiling bitterly Benji walks to his bed and tries to sleep again.

End of the chapter four:


End file.
